Tropical Storm Harvey grows, aims at Bermuda

MIAMI (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Harvey, the eighth
tropical storm in an unusually busy hurricane season, formed in
the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and gained strength as it took
aim at the British colony of Bermuda.

Bermuda’s government issued a tropical storm warning
alerting the mid-Atlantic island’s 62,000 residents to expect
storm conditions within 24 hours.

Harvey’s sustained winds grew to 60 mph (97 kph) and
forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said
there was a small chance it would become a hurricane before
hitting Bermuda.

At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), Harvey was centered about 165
miles west-southwest of Bermuda and moving east-northeast at
about 10 mph (16 kph).

It was expected to pass close to Bermuda and drench the
island with up to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain on Thursday. After
that, its projected path would keep it well away from land.

It was unusually early in the June-through-November
hurricane season for eight storms to have formed in the
Atlantic-Caribbean region, forecasters said.

Since 1851, half of the hurricane seasons never saw eight
storms. Among those that did, the mean date of formation for an
eighth storm was Sept. 29, the hurricane center said.

Forecasters predicted this year would bring a vicious
hurricane season. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration raised its forecast to a potentially
record-tying level on Tuesday, based on atmospheric conditions
and unusually warm ocean temperatures.

NOAA expects up to 21 tropical storms this year, with as
many as 11 strengthening into hurricanes and up to seven major
hurricanes with winds of at least 111 mph (178 kph).

An average hurricane season has 10 tropical storms, with
six becoming hurricanes and two strengthening into major
hurricanes.