Rain, hail and high winds caused two local events to be cancelled yesterday. The bad weather is expected to continue over the next few days.Both the Olde Town Market in St George and the JaKoMa's Winter fashion show were be cancelled on Sunday due to the harsh weather conditions.

According to the Bermuda Weather Service, 0.72 inches of rain fell between Friday and Sunday evening, with average winds reaching 36 knots on Sunday and gusts reaching 54 knots.

In addition to the rain, the Weather Service said there were two official reports of small hail on Friday evening and another on Saturday morning.

Also on Saturday, a severe weather warning was issued, with radar indicating severe thunderstorms and potentially tornadoes skirting to the north of the Island.

The Olde Town Market is expected to return next Sunday, while organisers plan to reschedule the fashion show later this week.

Meteorologist Michelle Pitcher said upper-level ridges and troughs being trapped over the Island caused much of the bad weather.

“For almost a week now, the upper levels have been 'blocked,' which means the troughs and ridges that usually progress eastward around the northern hemisphere have temporarily stopped their forward progression over the North Atlantic,” she said.

“This has left our area under the influence of an upper level trough, which supports low pressure centres and unsettled conditions at the surface.”

While winds are expected to drop slightly today, over the next few days, high winds and unsettled weather are predicted to continue through much of this week.