Bermuda prepares as Category 3 hurricane Humberto approaches

People on Bermuda rushed to make final preparations for an expected close brush with Hurricane Humberto, a powerful Category 3 storm that caused authorities on the British Atlantic island to order early closings of schools, transportation and government offices Wednesday.

National Security Minister Wayne Caines said schools, government offices and ferries on the island would close at noon and bus service would halt at 4 p.m.

Officials expected tropical storm-force winds to begin whipping at Bermuda before dawn and warned that hurricane-force gusts would probably last until early Thursday. Humberto was predicted to pass just to the north, though a small shift in its path could bring the storm over the island itself.

In Texas, the remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda threatened to drench parts of Southwest Texas and southwestern Louisiana with up to 18 inches (46 centimetres) of rain over the next few days. It was the first named storm to hit the Houston area since Hurricane Harvey’s much heavier rains flooded more than 150,000 homes around the city and caused an estimated $125 billion in damages in Texas.

WATCH: Tropical Storm Humberto threatens hurricane-ravaged Bahamas

2:02 Tropical Storm Humberto threatens hurricane-ravaged Bahamas

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Humberto’s maximum sustained winds strengthened to 185 km/h and it would probably remain a Category 3 hurricane through Thursday though there could be some fluctuations in its winds. The storm was centred about 458 kilometres west of Bermuda early Wednesday and was moving to the east-northeast at 256 km/h.

Bermuda was expected to get rainfall of up to 10 centimetres, with large swells along the coast.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lorena was moving off Mexico’s Pacific Coast, and forecasters said it could cause heavy rains and flooding to an area of resorts along the shore by Thursday, likely without it reaching hurricane force. A tropical storm warning was in effect from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes.

Lorena had top winds of 85 km/h late Tuesday. It was centred about 2955 kilometres south of the resort town of Zihuatanejo and was moving northwest at 24 km/h.

Tropical Depression Ten also formed far out in the Atlantic on Tuesday and could become a hurricane Friday as it nears the outermost Caribbean islands.