Tropical Storm Bertha Forms in the Atlantic

MIAMI | Tropical Storm Bertha has formed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.

At 11 a.m. EDT Thursday, the center of the storm was located about 190 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

The second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is moving toward the west-northwest at about 14 mph, and forecasters expect that to continue for the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph. Some gradual strengthening is forecast during the next day or two.

It's still too early to say if or where Bertha will hit land.

The first named storm this year, Arthur, formed in the Atlantic the day before the season officially started June 1 and soaked the Yucatan Peninsula.