Fred becomes second hurricane of 2015 Atlantic season

[August 31, 2015]  (Reuters) - Fred, formerly a tropical storm, has strengthened into the second hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Monday.

Fred, now a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, is located about 70 miles (115 km) east-northeast of Praia, Cape Verde Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 kph), the NHC said.

Fred will move through the Cape Verde Islands this afternoon and tonight, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.

Hurricanes range in severity from Category 1 to catastrophic Category 5.

(Reporting by Kevin Jose in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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