Tropical Storm Bertha was sweeping by Bermuda this afternoon bringing high winds and rain as it passed around 40 nautical miles to the east of Bermuda.

Bringing sustained winds of 55 knots and gusting to 65 knots, Bertha was expected to bring unsettled conditions into tonight and tomorrow as it moved North at seven miles per hour. The centre of Bertha passed Bermuda just after 3 p.m.

Seas outside the reef were today between 15 and 20 feet and inside the reef, between four and six feet.

All ferry services were cancelled this afternoon, though they are scheduled to resume tomorrow as normal and buses were running on schedule today. The causeway also remained open.

Flights in and out of the Island were cancelled for all airlines today including British Airways, which made the decision to cancel at 1.30 p.m. because the storm was scheduled to come by Bermuda slightly later.

They encouraged passengers to call 1-800-air-ways to reschedule because they would not automatically be rebooked on the next available flight.

Aaron Adderley, General Manager of L. F. Wade International Airport, however, said the Airport effectively remained open even if the flights were cancelled.

Some electricity outages had been reported in both the West and East Ends of the Island.

For those on the Island it was business as usual, according to Dianne Gordon the Executive Director of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce.

Around 10.30 a.m. this morning she said she had fielded a number of calls but encouraged everyone to remain calm.

“The situation is being monitored by the Minister and he has taken into account the EMO and the information that has been available and I have been available,” she said.

“A major concern is that day care centres are closing. There should be no need to panic. This is considered to be a tropical storm or a winter storm.

“We are getting a lot of calls, but it’s business as normal though things are subject to change. There’s no initiative to close.” However many businesses did close early today.

Her calls to remain calm were echoed by the Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing the Senator David Burch who continued to tell the public the Causeway was open.

Though he urged all motorists particularly cyclists to use “extreme caution” when crossing the Causeway. All Government offices remained open.

At least one business, however, erred on the side of caution with the high winds expected later in the afternoon and let its employees go home at mid-day.

For manager of PVC Windows and Doors, John Paul it was a harrowing experience just before mid-day as he watched a tree fall on top of two cars.

He said: “It was so disturbing. It was horrific. I was standing by the door and I heard the crash and a crackling noise. It had two cars underneath the tree.

“The cars were damaged it didn’t completely crush it but it was lying on them.”

Other reports of flying debris and intermittent flooding were reported.

For the latest updates visit: www.weather.bm of the local weather station on Cablevision 4 or WOW channel 100.