Miami, FL – Hurricane Imelda has moved east-northeast of Bermuda today, with conditions on the island steadily improving, but U.S. coastal communities are now under threat from dangerous surf and rip currents.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Imelda is producing maximum sustained winds near 80 mph as it transitions into an extratropical low. While the storm’s direct impact on Bermuda has diminished, forecasters warn that swells generated by Imelda will continue to bring life-threatening rip currents and hazardous marine conditions along much of the East Coast of the United States, the Bahamas, and the western Atlantic over the coming days.
The NHC cautions that swimmers and boaters from Florida to New England should use extreme caution as wave heights increase and rip currents intensify. These conditions are expected to persist into the weekend, spreading toward the Greater Antilles.
Meanwhile, forecasters are also monitoring two areas of potential tropical development. A tropical wave emerging off the African coast carries a 20% chance of formation over the next seven days. Closer to the U.S., a low-pressure area near the northwestern Bahamas and southern Florida has about a 10% chance of developing.
Officials emphasize that even though Hurricane Imelda is weakening and moving out to sea, the indirect impacts on U.S. beaches remain severe. “Please heed all local warnings,” the NHC urged in a Thursday morning advisory.
