Hurricane Paulette has knocked out power lines in much of Bermuda while swells have reached as far as the United States east coast.
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The storm has lingered over the British territory longer than initially forecast by the Bermuda Weather Service.
Early afternoon on Monday, its eye was located west of Bermuda, which lies about 1050 km east of the United States, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
It was quickening, hitting a maximum sustained speed of 170 km/h with higher gusts, but moving gradually north-northeast from the Atlantic archipelago and into open water.
Swells were reaching parts of the Leeward Islands, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the east cost of the United States, the Miami-based NHC said.
Another hurricane, Sally, was headed toward the US Gulf Coast on Monday.
With islanders staying inside, there were no immediate reports of damage, a witness said.
But a spokesperson for BELCO, the local electricity company, said 25,222 customers out of 36,000 lost power.
It was only partly restored in the afternoon.
Ann Botelho, one of the residents who lost power, said lights went off just before 8 am local time and did not return until about 5 pm.
"The back side of the storm is always the worst," she said in reference to heavy rains.
Major Benjamin Beasley, second in command of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, said soldiers starting road clean-ups at 3 pm to ensure there was at least one working lane on every major road.
"We are not through it yet," he said, adding that the island was now watching tropical storms Vicky and Teddy.
Both are currently in the Atlantic basin. While Vicky is weakening, Teddy is strengthening and expected to become a hurricane on Tuesday.
Australian Associated Press