Many Islanders were caught by surprise by yesterday?s storm but meteorologist Declan O?Connell said people downplayed winter weather while worrying about tropical systems.

He said yesterday?s gale was the equivalent of a tropical storm force sustained winds while gusts stopped just short of hurricane strength winds which start at 65 knots.

Bermuda Weather Service had forecast winds of 35-45 knots with gusts up to 50 said Mr. O?Connell but winds had upped to 40-50 knots with gusts of 60 knots. Winter storms can be much larger than tropical storms but although they can do a lot of damage they don?t have the capability to explode like hurricanes, he explained.

Winters storms affecting Bermuda generally develop off the northeast coast of America and can be 1,000 miles wide said Mr. O?Connell of the Bermuda Weather Service.

But Bermuda is rarely bothered more than twice a year by such systems and he said yesterday?s storm was not unusual in its strength with five such storms since 2002 including January last year where winds reached storm force on five days and reached 65 knots. He said: ?This one was further south than usual which took the storm to us.

?The upper winds in the atmosphere help decide where they form.

?Usually winter storms are much bigger than summer storms. This one could be 1,000 miles wide but the winds are going in all different directions.

?This storm is around 300 miles away. If you had a tropical storm 300 miles away you would probably not see any affect at all.

?But because this is so large it pushes against other winter systems.

?There?s a low to our east and high pressure to the north west.

?This tight squeeze gives us these strong winds.?

He said the centre of the storm came over Bermuda on Tuesday but the epicentre only had light winds while the rougher winds were at the edge as it developed.

?When it got a couple of hundred miles away from the centre it really picked up.

?But usually with a winter system it doesn?t have the same capability to develop and explode like a hurricane and become really strong.

?It won?t suddenly become 100-120 knot winds.?