Bermuda may experience high winds today as this year's first named hurricane passes to our north, the Bermuda Weather Service said yesterday.

A weather service spokeswoman said Hurricane Alex, presently spinning off the coast of North Carolina was expected to pass Bermuda this evening.

Its closest point of approach will be 375 nautical miles to the north-northwest at roughly 6 p.m. based on current computer models.

Because the category one hurricane - which yesterday had maximum sustained winds of 85 knots - was expected to pass within 400 nautical miles of the Island, it was still considered a potential threat, she said. Winds in Bermuda are not expected to exceed 25 knots, however.

Another brewing storm - Tropical Depression Two - is not a threat to Bermuda at this time, said the Bermuda Weather Service last night.

By 6 p.m. yesterday the storm was 1210 nautical miles south-southeast of the Island and its closest point of approach within 72 hours will be Friday afternoon, at a distance of 730 nautical miles to the south-southwest. Winds on Friday are expected to be between 15 to 20 knots, said the weather service. The depression is expected to become a hurricane in the next few days.

Meanwhile to the west of the Island yesterday, a stronger-than-expected Alex brushed North Carolina's coast, cutting power to thousands and flooding Hatteras Island's only link to the mainland but sparing the area a direct hit.

The storm grew to hurricane strength, 74 mph, early yesterday and by midday the sustained wind around its eye had revved up to nearly 100 mph, with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. By last night, Alex was moving out into the Atlantic.

The eye of the storm just barely passed by Cape Hatteras, leaving the east side of the hurricane - where the strongest wind and heaviest rain are located - out at sea instead of battering communities still recovering from last year's devastating Hurricane Isabel.

"This is different from Isabel last year, which came into the coast perpendicularly and went inland and into Virginia," said Richard Knabb, meteorologist with the hurricane centre.

"This is comparatively a grazing blow but still a pretty significant one for Cape Hatteras and areas nearby there."

With a file from AP