Hurricane Franklin, a Category 2 storm, approaches Bermuda

The outer bands of Hurricane Franklin lashed Bermuda on Wednesday as the Category 2 storm was forecast to pass near the island located in the North Atlantic Ocean.

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Franklin had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was located some 155 miles northwest of Bermuda early Wednesday afternoon. It was moving northeast at 13 mph and was expected to keep spinning through open waters.

The Bermudian flag is seen cast against a cloudy sky, Hamilton, Bermuda, November 8, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda, with forecasters warning of life-threatening surf and rip currents for the island and the U.S. East Coast. Several flights to Bermuda were cancelled on Wednesday.

Officials in Bermuda warned that Hurricane Idalia, which was crossing Florida on Wednesday, was forecast to possibly hit the island early next week as a tropical storm.