Source: NOAA
Hurricane Bill, although downgraded to a category three hurricane, remains large and powerful and is churning northwestward, spreading high swells over the Western Atlantic, said the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
At 5:00 p.m. AST, the Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for Bermuda. However, a hurricane watch remains in effect for Bermuda.
At 5:00 pm, AST, the eye of Hurricane Bill was located near latitude 23.8 North, longitude 63.2 West or about595 miles south of Bermuda and about 1080 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.
Bill has been moving steadily towards the northeast near 18 mph. According to NOAA, this motion should continue through Saturday, with a gradual turn to the North-Northwest and North on Saturday. On this forecast track, the core of Hurricane Bill is expected to pass over the open waters between Bermuda and the east coast of the United States early Saturday.
According to NOAA, maximum sustained winds have increased to near 125 mph, with higher gusts. Bill is currently a category three hurricane, but has the potential to intensify during the next 12-24 hours and to regain category four status once more on Friday.
Bill is a large hurricane with winds extending outward up to 115 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 260 miles.
The northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, are being affected by large swells and the Bahamas, Bermuda, and most of teh U.S. east coast, and the Atlantic Maritimes of Canada will similarly be affected in the next few days.
These swells will likely cause extremely dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents, NOAA said.
