Hurricane Bertha now a Category 3 storm

Atlantic
Image: Hurricane Bertha churns towards a group of Caribbean islands as seen in this NOAA satellite image on Monday, July 7, 2008.

Bertha, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, has strengthened to a Category 3 storm. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the hurricane has now reached maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometres an hour. However, it is not yet near land. The hurricane is located about 1,175 kilometres east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands, which include St. Martin and St. Kitts, and about 1,855 kilometres southeast of Bermuda. The hurricane, which grew from a tropical storm early Monday, is travelling at about 19 kilometres per hour and is moving west-northwest. Bertha is expected to make a gradual turn toward the northwest and decrease in forward speed over the next two days, the Hurricane Center said. However, it's still too early to tell if Bertha will hit Bermuda but residents are being urged to monitor the situation.
Image: This graphic, provided by the National Hurricane Center, shows the expected five-day track forecast for hurricane Bertha on Monday, July 7, 2008. (National Hurricane Center)