Tropical Storm Irene has weakened into a mere depression over the last 24 hours and is expected to track west of Bermuda in the coming days ? although the Bermuda Weather Service warned the system is proving difficult to accurately predict.

Latest forecasts suggest Irene will pass closest to the Island on Friday evening at a distance of 329 nautical miles to the southeast ? although local meteorologist Ian Curry said last night the possibility of the storm gaining in strength and changing direction cannot be ruled out entirely.

All the latest long-term weather prediction models show the storm continuing on its course west to the Carolinas, with Bermuda therefore set to experience minimal disruption apart from some ocean swells and breezy conditions.

?Irene has been weakening but she has also not been well behaved so far and has proven difficult to predict,? said Mr. Curry.

?We?ll be keeping an eye on her in the days ahead but at the moment the models suggest she will track to the west of Bermuda.?