Emily, despite the National Hurricane Centre in Florida's belief she is no longer a threat to Bermuda.

Last night she was located 282 miles southwest of Bermuda and heading north northwest at eight knots. A US Naval Oceanography Command Facility forecaster said Emily would be considered "a potential threat to Bermuda'' until it was believed she was far enough away not to impact on Bermuda should she turn back. "Everyone knows she has been very unpredictable so far,'' the forecaster said.

She also noted 1987's Hurricane Emily, which caused millions of dollars worth of damage, had passed Bermuda and was heading for the US East Coast when she turned back and hit the Island.

Emily's closest point of approach was expected to be 342 miles to the south on Friday, but she came closer at 3 p.m. on Sunday when she was 263 miles south of Bermuda.

Her only impact on local weather was cloudy and breezy conditions. A small craft warning was posted from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. yesterday.

Emily was last night heading for the Carolinas, having zigzagged across the Atlantic early yesterday, taking a turn to the northwest that brought relief to southern Florida and anxiety to coastal South Carolina, where memories of Hurricane Hugo are still strong.

The National Hurricane Centre expected her to make landfall sometime on Tuesday and warned residents from Virginia southward to Georgia to be prepared.