Bermuda could be feeling the effects of Hurricane Gert by early next week if the storm remains on its projected course.

Bermuda Weather Service forecasters said Gert will be within 400 miles of the Island by the end of the weekend.

The Category Four storm is expected to curve in a more northwesterly direction, putting her on a heading towards the Island's vicinity.

Gert has been classified as a potential threat to Bermuda and is forecast to be 376 nautical miles away by Sunday afternoon.

With maximum sustained winds of 115 knots and gusts to 140 knots the hurricane is slowly making her way in a west by northwesterly direction at a speed of nine knots.

Gert's intensity is not expected to increase or diminish over the next 72 hours.

Meteorologist Ken Smith was reluctant to predict exactly where the storm would go after the weekend.

He said: "Right now, it's really too early to tell how close Gert will come.

If she continues on her current track she'll be affecting us early next week.'' Mr. Smith added one computer model has indicated that the storm would continue curving around, taking her in a more northerly direction and to the east of the Island.

However, he added: "These storms are so unpredictable, so I really couldn't begin to say what will happen.'' Meanwhile, the remnants of the once gargantuan Hurricane Floyd are whipping the eastern seaboard of the United States in the form of a subtropical storm.

Last night's advisory showed her to be positioned over southern New Jersey with maximum sustained winds of 55 knots and gusts to 70.

Having passed its closest point of approach to Bermuda last night, Floyd's forecast track shows it to be curving along the North American coastline until as far north as Newfoundland at which point it will head eastwards into the Atlantic Ocean.

By that time, at around midday on Saturday, the system will only be extratropical, packing winds of between 45 and 55 knots.

Map by Hope Robbins Storm watch: While Hurricane Floyd batters the East Coast and slowly weakens, Bermuda Weather Service forecasters are turning their attention to Hurricane Gert, which is expected to turn to the north in the general direction of Bermuda.