Tropical Storm Harvey did more good than harm to Bermuda yesterday. Anticipated heavy winds never materialised but the weather system did deliver nearly five inches of rain to quash fears of a water shortage.

Harvey?s brushed past Bermuda at 5 a.m. yesterday, 20 nautical miles to our south. The highest gusts recorded were 44 knots at the Bermuda International Airport at 5.30 a.m. the Bermuda Weather Service said.

Khamla Smith of the Weather Service said that 4.91 inches of rain fell on the Island since Tuesday night as a result of Tropical Storm Harvey. The normal monthly average rainfall for August is 5.64 inches, but only four days into this month, 4.99 inches has now fallen. Ms. Smith said that conditions would gradually improve into the weekend as Harvey moved to the northeast and a high pressure system moved in.

Six flights to the US were cancelled at the Bermuda International Airport yesterday.

?We were nervous because Delta was cancelled.

We thought US Air was trying to roll the dice here. That was our attitude,? Patrick James Longo, a US Airways passenger on flight 370 to Boston said. ?Maybe this pilot was a gambler and we had a 50-50chance,? the Bronx native said. ?I was up most of the night worried about it.?

Michael Osborn, Terminal Manager of the Bermuda International Airport, said an American Airways flight to Miami and two flights to New York City were cancelled. By press time yesterday a US Airways flight to Philadelphia was not operational as well as two Delta planes to Boston and Atlanta.

Mr. Osborn said seven flights had taken off so far yesterday and three more were expected to be fine, including the British Airways flight to Gatwick.

Terry Mitchell from Toronto, Canada was not complaining about spending an extra day in Bermuda. ?It was alright with me,? Mr. Mitchell said. ?I went to St. George?s. As far as tropical storms go, I?ll take this any day.?

The plucky Canadian said if he continued to be stranded on the Island, he would ?get on a surf board and get out there?.

US Airways passengers, the Heyda family of New York and the Tomasetti family of Boston said they were awakened at 2 a.m. yesterday because of ?very, very strong winds? at the Elbow Beach Hotel.

?We were wondering if we were going home today,? they said. ?It would be nice to stay another day but there was no room at the inn.?

Getting to the airport was not a problem yesterday morning, as Government said buses had resumed their normal schedule and the Causeway was open to all traffic.

A Government spokeswoman said all ferry service, except for service to Dockyard, had resumed in time for rush hour commuters by yesterday afternoon.

And it was business as usual in King?s Square in St. George?s yesterday morning with shops opening their doors to passengers of the who spent the night tied alongside the dock at Ordnance Island.

Despite the gusty winds coming across St. George?s Harbour yesterday morning, the only exceptional circumstances were that outdoor furniture in some restaurants had been stacked up and a few extra lines were out for the ships.