A Hampshire woman stranded in Bermuda has described the worsening weather as Hurricane Gonzalo bears down on the island.

Susan Rowley said the winds were already picking up as the Category 3 hurricane roared in from the east.

She said: “We're going to get a direct hit, with sustained winds of at least 90mph and gusts of 140mph, depending on how close the eye of the hurricane is.

“But everyone is prepared and various contingency plans are in place.”

Susan, of Burley in the New Forest, is staying with her sister and brother-in-law, Rita and David Harries, who used to live in Romsey.

Their third floor apartment is near the capital, Hamilton.

Susan, a 64-year-old mother of two, said: “We've got shutters at the front but lost the ones at the back when Bermuda was hit by a tropical storm last weekend.

“Two of the windows have been boarded up on the inside and we're a bit concerned about what's going to happen if the wind hits the boards and the screws don't hold.

“We have plans to go to a windowless room on the ground floor if it gets really scary.”

The worst of the weather is not expected to hit the island until about 11pm today British time.