Bertha becomes first hurricane of 2008 Atlantic season

July 7, 2008

became the first hurricane of the Monday, after strengthening from a  overnight.

As of 11:00 am, the hurricane is located in the mid-Atlantic ocean, about 775 miles east of the , according to the  in , Florida. It has maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, with higher gusts, and it is moving west-northwest at 15 miles per hour.

The storm is expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours, with a possibility of intensifying into a Category 2 hurricane later today. The National Hurricane Center sees "no apparent environmental factors" to inhibit Bertha's intensification into a Category 2 storm. Over the next few days, it is projected to gradually turn towards the northwest, while reducing in forward speed.

The National Hurricane Center has not said whether Bertha will affect any land areas. However, a five-day forecast map shows Bertha passing near Bermuda around Saturday. "While the degree of the turn has important implications regarding potential impacts to Bermuda," the National Hurricane Center said, "it is much too early to determine if Bertha will actually threaten that island."

Coincidentally, Bertha was also the name of a, which formed exactly 12 years ago on July 7.