Almost 2,300 Belco customers lost power this evening as gale force winds battered the island.

According to the Belco outage map, 2,298 customers were without power as of 10pm with the bulk in Hamilton Parish where 1,428 had lost electricity and Southampton where another 610 homes were in the dark.

Another 206 lost power in Warwick, while Paget and Devonshire had 30 and 13 outages respectively.

The Bermuda Weather Service has issued a severe weather watch along with a thunderstorm advisory and a gale warning as a “complex, dual-centred low” deepens to the island’s west.

The 9.30pm forecast said: “Gale force winds will gust storm force within periods of rain and showers, that could become heavy at times with isolated to embedded thunderstorms, warranting a severe weather watch.

“Strong winds intensify into a gale again on Sunday with storm force gusts in and around showers. Strong gusty winds persist with blustery showers into midweek.”

Flooding has also been reported by residents on social media in some low-lying areas as a result of heavy rain.