( CNN ) -- As Hurricane Rafael sped away from Bermuda , taking with it heavy rain and wind , the government discontinued storm watches for the island . There appeared to be minimal disruption to life on Bermuda as the fast-moving storm roared by to the east , keeping the strongest winds well away from land . About 600 homes lost power , the Bermuda Electric Light Company said on its Facebook page . Glenn Jones , a business development and marketing manager for a Bermudian media company , said earlier that the wind was stronger than some locals expected . According to the Bermuda Weather Service , wind speeds reached 51 mph at the airport Tuesday night . The outer bands of the Category 1 hurricane had swirled over the 21-square-mile island as the storm raced north-northeast during the afternoon , bringing tropical storm-force winds and downpours . Late Tuesday , Rafael was about 135 miles ( 215 kilometers ) east of the island , the National Hurricane Center in Miami said . Meteorologists said the storm , with 85 mph sustained wind , was moving at 29 mph . Rafael becomes hurricane as it churns towards Bermuda . Forecasters said Rafael will break up late Wednesday or early Thursday after a turn to the northeast . Bermuda might see 2 to 4 inches of rain from the storm , and some beaches in the Bahamas and the eastern United States will see swells caused by Rafael . Meanwhile , along the Pacific coast of Mexico , Paul turned into a tropical storm and turned away from the Mexican coast without the center of the storm ever making landfall . CNN 's Catherine E. Shoichet , Nigel Walwyn and Greg Seaby contributed to this report .
Bermuda : About 600 people lose power in Bermuda . NEW : Winds reached 51 mph at the airport , the station says . In the Bahamas , Paul loses strength , turns without making landfall .