Tropical Storm Bertha is approaching warmer waters and is likely to strengthen during the next couple of days.

At 5 a.m.today, Bertha was centered about 1,300 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean.

Winds are near 50 mph with some higher gusting. Forecasters say Bertha is expected to strengthen during the next few days and could become the season's first hurricane to threaten the US.  

As we all know hurricanes, are named alphabetically with a new list every year.  

2008 hurricane names are:

Arthur                                                     Hanna                                               Omar

Bertha                                                    Ike                                                    Paloma

Cristobal                                                 Josephine                                           Rene

Dolly                                                       Kyle                                                   Sally

Edouard                                                  Laura                                                 Teddy

Fay                                                         Marco                                                 Vicky

Gustav                                                    Nana                                                  Wilfred

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

The hurricane names are recycle every 6 years.  If a hurricane grows to historic proportions, the name is retired.

Hurricanes form when warm surface water rises and cools to form clouds.  It becomes a tropical depression when the earth's rotation cause the clouds to rotate.  Winds of equal speed above and below builds the storm. A tropical storm is formed when winds reach 39 miles per hour and warm air and moisture continue to rise.  When winds reach 74 miles per hour, it's hurricane time.

A hurricane is a fascinating and frightening force of nature.  If a storm of this magnitude approaches the Jersey Shore remember the danger is not only the wind and rain, but the storm surge.  It travels under and to the right of the eye and moves at the speed of the hurricane.  The wind and low pressure combine to form a giant swell.  That also causes property damage, flooding and beach erosion.

Be Prepared!