Belco said it was bracing itself for the potential impact of Hurricane Ernesto this weekend and urged the public to do the same.

A spokesman for the energy provider said that the company’s crisis management team had met to co-ordinate preparations ahead of possible impacts from the storm and will continue to meet frequently until the threat from the weather system has passed.

“Should Bermuda be impacted by Ernesto, and it results in power outages, restoration crews will start work as soon as it is declared safe to do so and will continue to work until every customer has had power restored,” the spokesman said.

“The public can get storm preparedness advice, safety tips and updates on any outages on Belco’s website and social media pages, inclusive of Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram.”

Wayne Caines, the company president, said: “Belco is monitoring the development of Ernesto carefully and taking the appropriate action to be prepared should the storm impact Bermuda.

“I urge residents to prepare now and to also support each other however we can in preparation, during the storm and in recovery efforts.

“I encourage all residents and businesses in Bermuda to review their own hurricane safety plans as well as tips and advice on the Belco website and social media channels to keep their family and property safe should we be impacted by this storm later this week.”

The spokesman urged the public to make sure that trees on their properties were clear of power lines to help prevent outages.

Hurricane Ernesto was forecast to pass the island on Saturday as a Category 2 hurricane, bringing strong winds to the island from Friday evening.

Michael Weeks, the Minister of Public Works, urged the public to begin their preparations earlier this week citing concerns that rain and winds from an unrelated weather system could hinder preparation efforts.

Hardware stores told The Royal Gazette that customers had heeded the advice.

A spokeswoman for Masters Home Centre said yesterday that the store was very busy as shoppers sought supplies, particularly generators and batteries.

“We are trying to keep batteries stocked, but as soon as they are out they are gone,” she said.

In St George’s, Godet and Young also saw a sudden surge in business as customers readied themselves for Ernesto.

An employee said: “We are pretty busy. A lot of people are buying buckets, tarpaulins and rope.

“Flashlights and batteries have been flying today. Plywood as well.”

An employee at SAL Devonshire said they had also seen a number of customers stocking up on batteries and tarpaulins.

“Everybody is coming here to get their supplies for when it happens,” she said. “It has been busy.”