Residents should stay indoors while the eye of Hurricane Gonzalo is over the Island later this evening and there is a lull in winds.

The storm will ease while the eye is over Bermuda but people should not to go outside as dangerous winds will return very rapidly, the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) warned just before 5pm.

“Destructive hurricane force winds are moving into the area this evening with the most extreme and dangerous winds expected soon after nightfall,” BWS said. “Seas continue to build 30-40 feet with dangerous waves, swell and surge in advance of a 5pm high tide.”

Gonzalo, a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of almost 120 miles per hour and stronger gusts, is expected to be almost directly over the Island sometime between 7 and 8pm.