The Emergency Measures Organisation is reminding residents that a Hurricane Warning has been issued for Bermuda.

All Government schools will be closed on Monday, the EMO has advised, and all remaining flights today have been cancelled.

LF Wade International Airport will close for operation at 2pm and is expected to reopen tomorrow morning.

A decision regarding Government Offices will be made later today, as well as the resumption of public transportation services for Monday.

The latest Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) reports indicate that Hurricane Joaquin is a Category 3 storm and its closest point of approach to Bermuda will be about 70 miles to the west-northwest at 9pm this evening. Tropical storm force winds will continue throughout the day into tomorrow morning.

Some elevated and western areas can expect to experience hurricane force wind gusts.

Out of an abundance of safety and caution, the EMO is urging the public to stay off the roads today unless absolutely necessary.

The EMO continues to monitor Hurricane Joaquin very closely and advises residents to stay abreast of the latest BWS updates throughout the day. Bob Richards, the Acting Premier, and Michael DeSilva, the Commissioner of Police, also convened a meeting of the EMO yesterday to get the latest updates regarding the storm.

The EMO confirmed that all emergency services, including the Bermuda Regiment, the Bermuda Police Service, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, Belco, the Bermuda Hospitals Board and the Department of Public Works, have positioned their resources and are prepared.

And the EMO advised that as of yesterday evening, residents should have completed their storm preparations. Ferries will not run today because of rough seas and all bus services were suspended as of 10am. The Ministry of Tourism Development and Transport this morning confirmed that all flights have been cancelled.

The EMO further advised that the government shelter at CedarBridge Academy will be open from 10am. The Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre will also be open for residents in the East End and a full complement of clinical, support and administrative staff will be on site at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and associated group homes to ensure inpatients and residents are fully supported throughout the storm.

Throughout today, the Emergency Broadcast System will provide storm related information every half-hour. The EBS can be found at 100.1FM.

Helpful information:

Hurricane preparedness: www.emobermuda.com

Online weather updates: www.weather.bm

Facebook updates: www.facebook.com/dciBermuda

Televised weather updates: CableVision Ch 4 and WOW Ch 100

For the public forecast: dial 977

For the current observation: dial 9771

For the marine forecast: dial 9772

For latest warnings and tropical information: dial 9773

Additional preparation tips from the Bermuda Government:

Roof and tank: Block the gutters with clean rags or other device to prevent any leaves, salt and other contamination from entering your water tank.

Windows and doors: Installing storm shutters over all exposed windows and other glass surfaces is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your home. Cover all windows, French doors, sliding glass doors and skylights. Plywood shutters that you make yourself, if installed properly, can offer a high level of protection from flying debris during a hurricane.

Outdoor furniture: Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys and garden tools; anchor objects that cannot be brought inside but that could be wind-tossed. Remove outdoor antennas, if possible.

Owing to technical issues, The Royal Gazette’s website was unavailable for parts of yesterday. From today, we aim to provide coverage throughout the storm on our website, as well as continuing our Facebook and Twitter updates.