Hurricane Bill gains strength over Atlantic

August 17, 2009

, the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic storm season, recently formed over the ocean.

The storm is expected to gain strength over the next few days, with maximum wind speeds reaching 90 miles per hour, and sustained winds up to 75 mph. Bill is expected to reach the third category on the.

As of 11.00 EDT, Bill was centered approximately 1,080 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, heading east-northeast at about 16 miles per hour. Forecasts suggest the storm may pass northeast of Puerto Rico and advance toward Bermuda.

US National Hurricane Center meteorologist Daniel Brown said that "we do believe [the storm] could become a major hurricane during the next couple of days."

Bill may also impact the U.S. East Coast by next weekend. All interests potentially in the path of the storm are advised to track its progress over coming days.