Tropical storm Bertha strengthens as it moves away from the Bahamas: NHC

[August 04, 2014]  (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Bertha, the second named storm of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season, is strengthening quickly as it moves away from the Bahamas, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Monday.

The storm was located about 190 miles (305 km) east of the Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 kph), the Miami-based weather forecasters said.

"Bertha is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday or Monday night", the NHC said.

The storm is moving toward the north-northwest, following a route off the eastern U.S. coast, at about 17 miles per hour (28 kph).

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but additional strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours.

(Reporting by Anupam Chatterjee in Bangalore; Editing by Paul Tait)

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