(Click to enlarge) Hurricane Gonzalo’s forecast track has it impacting Bermuda beginning this afternoon. (Credit: NOAA)

Bermuda should expect damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge, and up to six inches of rain today and into this evening as Hurricane Gonzalo approaches, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Gonzalo is currently a Category 3 storm, which is considered a major hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour. The eye of the storm is expected to pass near Bermuda this evening, the forecast track shows.

The storm should weaken tonight as it passes over cooler water, but interests in Bermuda should make preparations for hurricane conditions. “Although it appears that a gradual weakening has begun, Gonzalo is expected to be a dangerous Category 3 hurricane as it moves near or over Bermuda later today,” the NHC says in its 11:00 a.m. EDT update.

Bermuda should expect “significant coastal flooding” if the storm stays on its forecast track. The NHC notes that Hurricane Fabian, a major hurricane that struck Bermuda in 2003, produced an estimated 10 feet of storm surge “and similar values could occur with Gonzalo.”

Tropical Storm Ana Threatens Hawaii

In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Ana is expected to approach Hawaii today, with the Big Island experiencing increasing winds, seas, and showers first before the the rest of the island chain feels the effects tonight through Sunday.

Catastrophe modeler AIR Worldwide notes that the latest forecast shows the storm passing south of the Hawaiian archipelago this weekend.

Scott Stransky, manager and principal scientist at AIR, says, “A tropical storm watch is currently in effect for Hawaii County. Rainfall accumulations of 6-8 inches are expected on the Big Island; significant rainfall may also occur in the rest of the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend.”

Stransky adds that, based on the current forecast track, wind damage “is likely to be limited to roof coverings, signage, and trees.”