MIAMI (BNO NEWS) -- Rainbands from Tropical Storm Maria began to affect the British overseas territory of Bermuda on early Thursday morning, forecasters said. A hurricane watch remains in effect for the island.
As of 8 a.m. AST (1200 GMT), the center of Maria was located about 200 miles (325 kilometers) west-southwest of Bermuda. It is moving toward the north-northeast at a speed of 26 miles (43 kilometers) per hour, with a turn to the northeast expected on Friday.
"On the forecast track, the center of Maria will quickly pass west of Bermuda later today," said Jack Beven, a senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). "Tropical storm conditions are expected on Bermuda later today, with hurricane conditions possible."
As of Thursday morning, Maria's maximum sustained winds are near 65 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts. "There is a small window for Maria to become a hurricane today before the shear increases further and the cyclone reaches cooler waters," NHC senior hurricane specialist Lixion Avila said. "Thereafter, Maria is forecast to weaken and become an extratropical cyclone by 36 to 48 hours."
On the current forecast track, Maria will see its closest point of approach to Bermuda at around 1 p.m. local time on Thursday when it is about 114 nautical miles (211 kilometers) west-northwest of the island. "Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) can be expected across Bermuda through today," Beven said.
As a result, the Bermuda Weather Service has issued both a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch. A total of 20 flights have been canceled at L.F. Wade International Airport on Thursday, as well as many activities on the island.
Maria is the thirteenth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season and first emerged as a vigorous tropical wave in the far eastern Atlantic on September 5. The system quickly organized and was designated Tropical Depression Fourteen on September 6, before strengthening into a tropical storm the next day.
According to figures released last month, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is expecting an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. The outlook calls for 14 to 19 named storms, with seven to ten becoming hurricanes and three to five expected to become a major hurricane (category 3 or higher).
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and two becoming major hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with peak activity in September.