• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Tropical Storm Harvey Forms Near Bermuda

Posted on: Wednesday, 3 August 2005, 11:15 CDT

MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Harvey formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and aimed for the British colony of Bermuda, the eighth tropical storm in an unusually busy hurricane season.

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 was a minimal tropical storm with sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph). Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said it could strengthen as it approached Bermuda, where sturdy homes and buildings have weathered much worse.

At 11 a.m. EDT/1500 GMT, Harvey was centered about 215 miles west-southwest of Bermuda and moving north-northeast. It was expected to turn northeast and cross over Bermuda, drenching the island with up to 3 inches (7.6 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.

Source: REUTERS

More News in this Category