MIAMI, United States (CMC) – Hurricane Imelda, which has been a significant weather event in the Atlantic, is now rapidly moving away from Bermuda, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) based in Miami. As of Thursday, the storm, boasting maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (mph), was located approximately 170 miles east-northeast of Bermuda and is advancing towards the east-northeast at a speed of nearly 30 mph. The NHC anticipates that Imelda will transition into an extratropical storm later in the day, with a gradual weakening expected over the coming days. The Meteorological Service of Bermuda has downgraded the hurricane warning to a tropical storm warning, indicating that tropical storm conditions are still anticipated in the immediate future. Bermudian authorities have reported that the most severe impacts of Hurricane Imelda have passed, but caution remains as hurricane-force winds and gusts persist. Residents are advised to remain indoors until the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) declares it safe. The NHC has also highlighted that swells generated by Imelda are affecting the Bahamas, Bermuda, and much of the U.S. East Coast, with these swells expected to spread towards the Greater Antilles and northern Leeward Islands by Friday, continuing through the weekend. These conditions are likely to create life-threatening surf and rip current situations.