Hurricane Nicole
Hurricane Nicole is seen approaching Bermuda in this image from NOAA's GOES-East satellite taken at 12pm ET (16:00GMT) on 12 October, 2016 NASA/ Reuters

Residents of Bermuda have been warned that Hurricane Nicole could bring 130mph winds and extremely high waves and storm surges.

Nicole was briefly classed as a Category 4 hurricane though it has now been downgraded to 3 as its full force hit the island on Thursday (13 October). Several airlines cancelled flights and some cruise ships also cancelled trips to the area.

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) had said Nicole could bring four to eight inches of rainfall and raise sea levels by up to eight feet. In a statement the NHC said: "Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is possible during the next 24 hours, and Nicole could be near major hurricane strength when it approaches Bermuda."

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There were power outages across the island and some reports of damage, including roofs being peeled off.

Local resident Nick West told ABC part of his roof was ripped off and his garden left underwater. "We are hiding downstairs. All safe and dry for now," said West. "Just as long as we are all safe, that is all I really care about."

The hurricane comes days after Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti, killing over 1,000 people in a country still recovering from a large scale earthquake in 2010.

Bermuda's infrastructure is much better and many buildings are able to resist storms of this intensity but locals were warned not to go outside when the storm was at its peak. Many shops and schools were boarded up and hotels are experiencing a surge in bookings as locals seek places of safety, according to Sky News.

"I'm comfortable with the resources we have in hand to deal with this storm," said Premier Michael Dunkley, reports the Wall Street Journal. "I have every faith that the people of Bermuda will rally together after the storm."