A wave of power outages appeared to be the worst impact from Hurricane Imelda, which hit the island at about 1am and knocked out electricity for more than 18,000 customers as it passed over Bermuda.

The Bermuda Weather Service said the airport recorded a gust of 90mph during Imelda’s passage, with a wind blast of almost 100mph logged at Dockyard.

Police reported a relatively quiet night, while the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service responded to sporadic utility pole fires.

Public schools, which remain under assessment, are to remain closed until Monday.

LF Wade International Airport reopened at noon, with Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, commending residents for weathering the brunt of Imelda, which came swiftly after a near-miss from Hurricane Humberto.

The first incoming flight was expected at 1.50pm, although American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue cancelled their service for the day.

The Causeway was assessed and reopened in the morning, although drivers were advised to avoid venturing out while recovery efforts continued, unless dealing with an emergency.

At noon, Imelda was 315 miles east-northeast of Bermuda and moving away as a dwindling post-tropical cyclone.

Winds were expected to slowly decrease over the day, but gusts continued and residents were advised to use caution outdoors.

Buses were set to resume at 6pm, with ferries back in service in the morning — with the exception of the Orange Route serving St George’s, which is to remain suspended until conditions improve.

Royal Bermuda Regiment soldiers and other teams continued clearing debris off the main thoroughfares, including Middle Road and South Road.

Residents were asked to avoid the roads, but to use care if going out, with some side roads still impassable.

Government offices are to reopen for Friday.

The Bermuda College resumes classes tomorrow after a safety inspection at the facility.

Warwick Academy announced that it would open for classes after an assessment of its campus.

The hurricane’s approach was dominated by strong southerly winds that whipped up a churning surf off the South Shore.

However, after midnight, as storm winds switched to northerly, outages increased sharply: between midnight and just after 1am, the figure rose from 2,000 to 9,514, and topped 13,600 outages by 2.15am. By 7pm, that number was approaching 5,000.

The island’s hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning by the BWS at 6am.

A total of 54 people used the emergency shelter at CedarBridge Academy, which closed this afternoon. The Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre in St David’s remained operational, closing by 5pm.

The Department of Corrections reported no incidents.

Belco announced that the impact of hurricane-force winds brought a peak of roughly 18,000 outages across the island.

Crews from the power company were out restoring electricity “as quickly and safely as possible”, with pole fires and downed wires a priority.

At noon, 11,602 customers remained in the dark. Power had been restored to more than 2,600 customers since the morning — but there could be temporary outages as crews may have to reroute electricity during repairs.

Belco warned that salt left by the storm still posed a “constant threat and highly unpredictable” risk of pole fires caused by equipment shorting out.

Anyone sighting a pole on fire should keep well clear, and call 955.

Shelly Leman, the Belco managing director, asked for the public’s patience during power restoration — leaving crews room to work and not moving or driving around any barriers in place.

She added: “I would also ask customers not to call to report power outages as we have a limited number of telephone lines, which must be kept open for emergency calls, such as pole fires, downed power lines and other critical emergencies.”

The utility’s head office at Serpentine Road, Pembroke, will reopen for walk-in customers at 8.30am tomorrow.

Updates continue through the Belco website and its social-media pages.

The Tynes Bay public drop-off opened to accept waste until 7pm, while the Marsh Folly horticultural drop-off closed at 4pm

All street lights in Hamilton were in operation.

In the storm’s aftermath, Mr Weeks offered “words of encouragement to all of Bermuda” and thanked those who worked tirelessly around the clock to get Bermuda back to normal”.

He added: “We have just come through a serious Category 2 hurricane, and I want to commend the people of Bermuda for their preparations and unity.

“Your resilience in the face of adversity is nothing short of remarkable.”

“As we continue the recovery process, please know that we are committed to restoring services and protecting lives.

“Please continue to support one another as we strive to get Bermuda back to normal.

“Lastly, I want to especially thank the tireless work of our emergency teams who worked around the clock to ensure all our safety. Please continue to stay informed and follow official guidance as we move towards full recovery.”

Robert King, the Leader of the Opposition, said the island could “breathe a collective sigh of relief”.

He added: “While the hurricanes have tested us, we are grateful that no lives were lost. Our island has weathered the storms, and we have weathered it together.”

Mr King told those who sustained damage to homes and property that they were not alone.

“The work of recovery begins now, and we will face it as Bermudians always do: side by side, with determination and compassion,” he said.

“To every emergency worker, volunteer and community member who worked tirelessly to keep our island safe, your preparation, dedication and swift action made all the difference. You have our deepest gratitude.

“The road ahead will require patience and hard work, but our resilience has been proven time and again. Together, we will rebuild what was damaged and emerge stronger.”

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