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Tropical storm Maria nears hurricane strength in Atlantic
MIAMI (AP) - Tropical storm Maria was gathering energy from warm ocean water but remained over the open Atlantic on Saturday and posed no immediate threat to land.
"Some strengthening is forecast . . . and Maria could be near hurricane strength by Sunday," said Jack Beven, a hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
At 11 a.m. EDT, the storm had maximum sustained wind of 97 kilometres an hour - up 17 km/h from early morning - and was centred 1,240 kilometres northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, about 1,350 kilometres southeast of Bermuda.
It was moving northwest, a track that could take it east of Bermuda, at 24 km/h, forecasters said.
Maria is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, one of the busiest on record. Historically, only about four or five named storms form by this time of year, according to the hurricane centre.
If the storm's sustained wind speed reaches 119 km/h as expected, Maria would be the season's fifth hurricane.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Peak storm activity typically occurs from the end of August through mid-September.
Tropical storm Maria nears hurricane strength in Atlantic
MIAMI (AP) - Tropical storm Maria was gathering energy from warm ocean water but remained over the open Atlantic on Saturday and posed no immediate threat to land.
"Some strengthening is forecast . . . and Maria could be near hurricane strength by Sunday," said Jack Beven, a hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
At 11 a.m. EDT, the storm had maximum sustained wind of 97 kilometres an hour - up 17 km/h from early morning - and was centred 1,240 kilometres northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, about 1,350 kilometres southeast of Bermuda.
It was moving northwest, a track that could take it east of Bermuda, at 24 km/h, forecasters said.
Maria is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, one of the busiest on record. Historically, only about four or five named storms form by this time of year, according to the hurricane centre.
If the storm's sustained wind speed reaches 119 km/h as expected, Maria would be the season's fifth hurricane.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Peak storm activity typically occurs from the end of August through mid-September.