HURRICANE STRENGTHENING OVER NEXT 24 HOURS

Hurricane Bill strengthened to a Category 4 storm on 19 August 2009. As of 0900 the storm was located 460 mi/740 km east of the Leeward Islands and 1,100 mi/1,770 km southeast of Bermuda. The storm is moving west-northwest at 16 mph/14 kt and has maximum sustained winds of 135 mph/117 kt with higher gusts. Bill may strengthen to a Category 5 storm over the next 24 hours and is expected to track to the northwest during the next 2-3 days. The storm is then forecast to turn to the north and northeast. Current models indicate that the storm is likely to pass to the west of Bermuda. Travellers to Bermuda and the Leeward Islands should closely monitor the storm, as it is likely to affect weather conditions on the islands even if it does not make a direct hit.