Hurricane Paulette, a Category One hurricane, has become the sixth Atlantic hurricane of the season, making it the fastest “P” named storm on record. As of eight a.m. on Sunday, a hurricane warning was put into effect for Bermuda. Paulette is currently moving Northwest at 14 mph and has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. 

“On the forecast track, the center of Paulette will move near or over Bermuda Monday morning,” the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory on Saturday. “Paulette is expected to be a dangerous hurricane when it approaches Bermuda late tonight and early Monday. Some further strengthening is possible when Paulette turns northeastward and moves away from Bermuda late Monday through Tuesday.”

After hitting Bermuda, Hurricane Paulette is expected to turn Northwest into parts of the Leeward Islands, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the southeastern U.S. three to six inches of flooding is predicted in Bermuda. Increased wave activity and rip currents are also expected to occur in the US through Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Paulette will be moving over warmer water and within a more moist and unstable environment with lowering wind shear into early [next] week,” AccuWeather’s hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said. “We are expecting Paulette to intensify further through the rest of Sunday and Monday.”

Many forecasters predict Paulette will top as a Category Two hurricane. However, with Paulette’s intense winds, there is a possibility of a Category Three hurricane with winds over 110 mph before reaching landfall in Bermuda. If Paulette reaches Bermuda, it will be the territory’s first hurricane encounter since hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo made landfall in October 2014.

As of 10 a.m. on Sunday, Hurricane Paulette is located 240 miles southeast of Bermuda’s shores. Bermuda’s government has closed down L.F. Wade International Airport. Several shelters have been made available for evacuees.