HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP):

People across Bermuda installed storm shutters, hauled their yachts onto beaches and boarded up the airport in preparation for Tropical Storm Florence, which intensified Saturday and was expected to become a hurricane as it nears the North Atlantic island.

Florence, which was expected to become a hurricane as it moved over the open Atlantic late Saturday, was expected to reach the tiny British territory tomorrow, according to forecasters at the United States National Hurricane Center in Miami, though it was too early to tell whether it will make a direct hit.

"What's important is there's a hurricane that's moving very near and possibly over Bermuda so those people need to be making arrangements to protect life and property," said Jamie Rhome, a hurricane specialist at the centre.

Bermuda has issued a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning, and the government urged its 65,000 residents to take precautions.

Though the storm slightly weakened yesterday afternoon, Florence is expected to steadily strengthen today, the hurricane center said.

"The public is encouraged to stock up on normal hurricane supplies and to secure their homes, lawn furniture and any other loose items which could be affected by high winds," said Derrick Burgess, minister of public safety.

The island's only airport, Bermuda International Airport, will close at 10 p.m. AST (0100 GMT) and was not expected to reopen until late Tuesday at the earliest, said General Manager Aaron Adderley. Flights from New York and Miami scheduled to arrive late yesterday were canceled.

The storm was expected to veer away from the U.S. coast as it turns north toward Bermuda, but forecasters said its large size could also create high surf and rip currents along parts of the eastern U.S. coast.

Large ocean swells, including dangerous surf conditions and strong rip currents, were affecting Bermuda, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the hurricane center said. Such conditions will begin to affect the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos over the next two days, the hurricane center said.

The storm's sustained winds slightly weakened to nearly 65 mph (100 kph) yesterday. Tropical storm force wind extended up to 345 miles (555 kilometers) from Florence's center.

At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), the storm was centered about 465 miles (745 kilometers) south of Bermuda, where it has started to rain. Florence was moving northwest at about 13 mph (20 kph).

Florence follows on the heels of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which was briefly the season's first hurricane before weakening and drenching the U.S. East Coast last week. The storm was blamed for nine deaths in the United States and two in Haiti.