with Hurricane Floyd pounded the South Shore.

A Bermuda Harbour Radio spokesman yesterday reported 15 foot high seas well offshore and heavy surf inshore.

Hurricane Floyd is not a threat to Bermuda at this time. It is a Category Four storm with winds of at least 150 miles per hour.

At 6 p.m. last night, Floyd was at latitude 24.2 degrees north and longitude 73.7 degrees west or 692 nautical miles south southwest of Bermuda. Its winds were clocked at 135 knots with gusts of up to 165 knots. Floyd is travelling west at 14.

Floyd is expected to turn slightly to the north and skirt the US East Coast from central Florida to South Carolina. Floyd is past its closest point of approach to Bermuda.

Hurricane Gert, now churning through the middle Atlantic, is still making a beeline toward the Eastern Caribbean islands.

Last night Gert, a Category One storm was 1,653 nautical miles east southeast Floyd batters Bahamas: Page 7 Floyd's fringes flay beaches or at latitude 16.0 degrees north and longitude 41.6 degrees west.

The storm's 75 knot winds were gusting to 90 knots and it is traveling due west at 16 knots.

Gert's closest point of approach is projected to be 967 nautical miles south southeast of Bermuda on Thursday afternoon.

Swimmers were last night warned to stay out of the water on the South Shore because of the heavy surf.

Parks Director Candy Foggo said: "I am urging all swimmers not to swim anywhere on the South Shore. The surf is extremely high and very dangerous due to the effects of Hurricane Floyd.

"We have already had a few unfortunate accidents this summer due to heavy surf and we do not want to see any more casualties.

"We have posted warning signs at the entrances to all beaches on the South Shore and these will remain in place until it is safe to remove them.

"Lifeguards are only on duty at Horseshoe Bay.'' She advised swimmers to go to the North Shore where the water is calm and recommended Shelly Bay, Tobacco Bay, Spanish Point Park, Ferry Point and Daniel's Head.

Map by Hope Robbins/Bermuda Weather Service Storm's path: Hurricane Floyd is shown at left as it heads towards the Bahamas, while Hurricane Gert, right, is gaining strength in the mid-Atlantic.