Tropical Storm Bertha Becomes Second Named Storm Of Atlantic Hurricane Season

Miami, FL (AHN) - One month and three days into the hurricane season the second named storm has formed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical Storm Bertha formed at 11 a.m. ET Thursday off the coast of Africa. Bertha's center about 190 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Forecasters say its still too early to tell whether Bertha will become a serious threat or not.

Forecasters say Bertha is moving at about 14 mph west-northwest along a route it is expected to follow for several days. Right now it is packing winds of 40 mph, which are expected to gradually strengthen over the next few days.

This year is forecast to be a more active than usual storm season.

Tropical Storm Arthur, the first storm of the year, formed near Belize on May 31, a day before hurricane season officially began. It brought heavy rains to the Yucatan Peninsula before going away.