WASHINGTON, July 7, 2008 (AFP) - The first hurricane of the 2008 season has formed in the center of the Atlantic Ocean, but it was too early to predict whether it will threaten any populated areas, US government forecasters announced Monday. Bertha, as the storm was named, was currently churning 845 miles (1,365 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean and slowly moving west-northwest, according to the National Hurricane Center said. "It is still too early to determine if Bertha will eventually affect any land areas," the center said in a statement. The hurricane packed maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) an hour with higher gusts.
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