Tropical Storm Earl is expected to approach Bermuda as a hurricane, according to forecasts.

As of noon today, the storm was 596 miles south of Bermuda, however the storm is expected to travel north in the coming days, gaining strength in the process.

It is moving north at 4.5mph and packing sustained winds of 63 mph, gusting to 74mph.

According to the Bermuda Weather Service, its closest point of approach in the next three days is expected to be 120 miles to the southeast at midnight on Friday, by which time the storm is expected to have become a hurricane.

It is then expected to pass to the southeast of Bermuda as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane.

The Bermuda Weather Service said that conditions around the island are expected to deteriorate on Thursday as the storm approaches, and warned that rip currents have been reported along South Shore.

The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said yesterday afternoon: “Earl is moving toward the north near 6mph and a slow northward motion is expected to continue for the next day or two followed by a turn to the north-northeast with some acceleration.

“Maximum sustained winds are near 65mph with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast over the next several days, and Earl could become a hurricane by Wednesday.

“Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the centre.”

The fourth named storm of this year’s season, Danielle is now far from any Atlantic shoreline and is not expected to approach any land masses in the coming days.

The storm has regained hurricane status and is projected to move north-northeast, weakening to tropical storm strength by later this week.