"We have four homes that have lost their roofs -- nothing major -- we are pretty excited about how we weathered the storm," he said.

As of 2100 GMT, the storm center was about 235 kilometers (145 miles) northwest of Bermuda and was moving north-northeast at about 26 kilometers (16 miles) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

The storm's sustained winds blew at 150 kph (90 mph) per hour "with higher gusts" reported, the center said, making it a category one storm, of the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.

"Storm surges and waves along the coast of Bermuda will continue to gradually subside" later Monday, the center said. The center of the storm passed west-northwest of Bermuda.

Bermuda authorities replaced a hurricane warning with a tropical storm warning, the center said.

One Bermuda observing station recorded a gust of 179 kph (111 mph).

The storm was not expected to make landfall as it proceeds northward, but it is a large storm, and may cause rough seas and strong rip currents on the US and Canadian Atlantic coasts.

The US National Hurricane Center also upgraded a tropical depression to Tropical Storm Gordon, the seventh named storm of the season in the Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 72 kph (45 mph) with stronger gusts.

Gordon was located 700 kilometers (425 miles) northeast of the Leeward Islands, and was expected to achieve hurricane status.

In Bermuda, authorities opened shelters and put the armed forces on alert amid reports of downed trees and power outages in the British overseas territory with a population of 67,000 and many more in tourist season.

Florence strengthened into a category one hurricane early Sunday, becoming the second hurricane of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, after Ernesto.

A category one storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale has sustained winds 119-153 kph (74-95 mph) and can cause a storm surge of between four and five feet (1.2-1.5 meters).

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