The Bermuda Weather Service would like to point out that forecasts yesterday of tropical storm winds of 38 mph or higher and possible gusts of hurricane force at 74 mph in the wake of Hurricane Erika were not made by them. The information used in yesterday's story in The Royal Gazette came from the Miami Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erika was last night set to brush past Bermuda by more than 300 miles, weather experts predicted yesterday.

The category three storm -- still listed as a potential threat to Bermuda -- was expected to bypass Bermuda at around 1 a.m. this morning 327 miles offshore, heading east by southeast.

But forecasters reckon Bermuda could experience tropical storm force winds of 38 miles an hour and possible gusts of hurricane force -- 74 miles an hour or higher.

At 6 p.m. last night, Erika was registering gusts of up to 135 kilometres an hour and was 340 nautical miles southeast of the Island.

And Erika is expected to weaken steadily as she heads out into the Atlantic, with wind speeds forecast to drop to 105 kilometres an hour by tomorrow afternoon.

By Friday afternoon, the maximum winds are expected to have dropped further to 100 kilometres an hour.

Bermuda's Emergency Measures Organisation met yesterday morning to assess the Island's readiness to meet the hurricane.

A Government spokeswoman said: "We're in a state or readiness, but we're not too concerned that the hurricane will be a big problem here.

"The Government of Bermuda regards the hurricane as a potential threat, but, unless the forecast changes, we only expect gusty winds, some rain and high surf.''