Hurricane Earl has passed the island as a Category 2 hurricane, according to the Bermuda Weather Service.

A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect, and tropical storm-force winds are expected to continue this morning, along with dangerous seas with rip currents and hazardous surf.

At 3am, the storm was about 90 miles east-southeast of the island and moving north-northeast at 15mph.

The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said: “On the forecast track, the centre of Earl will move away from Bermuda through the morning.

“Maximum sustained winds are near 90mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is still possible through this evening or tonight.

“Thereafter, some weakening and a transition into a powerful extratropical cyclone is forecast on Saturday.

“Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the centre and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.”

NOAA previously noted that LF Wade International Airport reported a sustained wind of 37mph and a gust to 49mph.

More than 1,300 Belco customers across the island lost power during the storm, with the energy provider saying at 11pm that they had identified 1,056 storm-related outages in Pembroke, along with 140 in Sandys, 140 in St George's, 99 in Devonshire, one in Paget and one in Hamilton Parish.

By midnight, the number of customers without power had fallen to about 350, with the majority of the impacted customers in Sandys, Pembroke, Devonshire or St George’s.