Gonzalo has become a major hurricane over the Atlantic and poses a threat to Bermuda.

The Bermuda Weather Service issued a hurricane warning at midnight and their midnight forecast put Gonzalo’s closest point of approach to the Island within 72 hours to be 32 nautical miles to the west-northwest at 1pm on Friday.

The storm, now a Category 3 hurricane, was reported to be 614 nautical miles south of Bermuda with maximum winds of 110 knots and gusts of 135 knots.

The National Hurricane Centre’s 11pm update said Gonzalo had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.

Hurricane-force winds were extending outward by up to 25 miles and tropical storm-force winds reached out by 115 miles.

The storm was 705 miles south of Bermuda and moving northwest at 13 miles per hour, the Centre’s report stated.

Thee centre forecast some additional strengthening during the next day or so followed by some weakening.

Gonzalo has killed one elderly man in St. Maarten who was aboard a boat, according to the Associated Press.

The Bermuda Weather Service’s 6pm forecast showed the closest point of approach to the Island within 72 hours to be within 25 nautical miles of the Island — classed as a direct hit —at 5pm on Friday.

Their evening prediction showed the storm would be a Category 3 hurricane when it passed Bermuda.

The evening forecast said Gonzalo was 669 nautical miles south of Bermuda and travelling northwest at 11 knots.

Meteorologist Michelle Pitcher said just after 8pm tonight that a Hurricane Watch would be in effect from midnight.

“The actual track from the 6pm advisory does bring it over the Island as a direct hit and as it is passing to our west, that places the northeast quadrant of the storm over Bermuda as it passes,” she said. “This quadrant has the strongest winds due to the combination of the circulation of winds around the hurricane being in the same direction as the forward motion of the hurricane.

“The hurricane is still a bit too far out for the final closest point of approach but that should be included in the next bulletin or so.

“The latest information from the National Hurricane Centre implies that Gonzalo will likely still be a Category 3 when it passes over Bermuda.

“However, as the anticipated closest point of approach becomes less than 72 hours away, we can give a more definitive answer on intensity.

“Winds are expected to be southeasterly ahead of Gonzalo and then will veer to the southwest as it passes and then veer to the northwest as it leaves the area.

“Please refer to the latest forecast for the anticipated wind speeds but note that this will likely continue to significantly change, along with the wave heights, as Gonzalo draws near.”

Gonzalo is the seventh named storm of the 2014 season. It emerged as a tropical storm on Sunday afternoon and became the sixth hurricane of the season late on Monday.

The hurricane destroyed several boats and knocked out power in Antigua and Barbuda yesterday and the National Hurricane Centre predicts it will grow into “a major hurricane” as it continues.

Five people were believed to be missing today after the boats they were aboard off the coast of Martinique either ran aground or were sent drifting into the ocean. Search crews from Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Maarten were searching for the missing five, according to the Weather Channel.

The Weather Channel reported today that Gonzalo will weaken as it approaches Bermuda, as wind shear will increase and water temperatures will be cooler due to upwelling after Hurricane Fay – water at the surface on the ocean moves away from the storm centre and colder water from below moves to the surface.

Although storms are notoriously difficult to predict days in advance, local authorities are preparing for the hurricane to start bearing down on Bermuda on Friday.