Bertha barely clings to hurricane status

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season barely remained at hurricane strength Wednesday, but forecasters said it is expected to intensify a bit over the next couple of days.

Hurricane Bertha's winds were near 75 mph as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, just above the 74-mph threshold at which a tropical storm becomes a Category 1 hurricane. But the National Hurricane Center predicted it would gain strength as it churns in warm Atlantic waters.

The center of Bertha was about 550 miles (885 kilometers) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and about 715 miles (1,150 kilometers) southeast of Bermuda, forecasters said. It was moving west-northwest at near 12 mph (19 km/h), and was expected to make a gradual turn toward the north-northwest and slow down over the coming days.

The hurricane center has said it is likely that Bermuda will receive no more than a glancing blow from the storm. Storm tracking maps show Bertha passing to the east of the island and heading away, into open sea. See Bertha's projected path »

The storm formed Thursday in the far eastern Atlantic, off the coast of Africa near the southern Cape Verde Islands. It strengthened into a hurricane early Monday and, at its peak, it became a Category 3 storm with top winds of 120 mph. See how hurricanes are classified »

The first tropical storm of the season, Arthur, formed May 31 near the coast of Belize and dumped heavy rain on Central America and southern Mexico.

All About Hurricanes and Cyclones • National Hurricane Center