Hurricane Tammy remains on track to approach Bermuda this weekend as a weakened storm, according to the Bermuda Weather Service, although forecasters acknowledged the system had proved “very challenging to forecast”.

By 6pm last night, the Category 1 hurricane was 564 miles south-southeast of Bermuda, and was headed northeast in the distant Atlantic at 8mph. Tammy had winds of 75mph, gusting up to 92mph.

It is forecasted to continue on a northwesterly curve tomorrow that will put it on a nearly direct course for Bermuda on Saturday.

BWS gave its closest predicted approach as 150 miles east of Bermuda by 6pm on Friday — but its forecast track shows the storm boomeranging on a potential course to skim near the island by Sunday morning.

However the National Hurricane Centre’s forecast is for the hurricane to lose strength as it encounters wind shear and cooling sea surface temperatures, knocking it down to a “gale-force extratropical cyclone” with winds of 50mph.

The storm has the potential to bring strong northeasterly winds and showers by Friday, and strong northerly winds with rain on Saturday.