Tropical storm watch issued for Bermuda as Maria nears

[News_Editor]

Tropical storm watch issued for Bermuda as Maria nears

2011-09-14 02:25:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

MIAMI (BNO NEWS) -- A tropical storm watch was issued for the British overseas territory of Bermuda on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Maria is forecast to pass close to the island later this week, forecasters said.

As of 2 p.m. AST (1800 GMT), the center of Maria was located about 320 miles (505 kilometers) east of the southeastern Bahamas, or 725 miles (1165 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda. It is moving toward the north-northwest at a speed of 3 miles (6 kilometers) per hour.

"Maria will accelerate northward ahead of the trough moving off the U.S. East Coast over the next couple of days and should turn a little east of due north by 48 hours," said Michael Brennan, a senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). "A faster northeastward motion is expected by 72 hours as Maria is absorbed into the mid-latitude westerlies."

This should bring Maria about 119 nautical miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Bermuda on late Thursday morning, prompting a tropical storm watch for the British overseas territory. "Tropical storm conditions are possible on Bermuda by Wednesday night or early Thursday," Brennan said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Maria's maximum sustained winds are near 50 miles (85 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts. "The statistical guidance suggests some modest strengthening over the next couple of days," Brennan said, although Maria is not expected to become a hurricane.

Maria is the thirteenth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season and first emerged as a vigorous tropical wave in the far eastern Atlantic on September 5. The system quickly organized and was designated Tropical Depression Fourteen on September 6, before strengthening into a tropical storm the next day.

According to figures released last month, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is expecting an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. The outlook calls for 14 to 19 named storms, with seven to ten becoming hurricanes and three to five expected to become a major hurricane (category 3 or higher).

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and two becoming major hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with peak activity in September.

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