HURRICANE SEASON 2008

Bertha strengthens, no threat to Gulf of Mexico

July 7, 2008

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Bertha strengthened over the central Atlantic Ocean Monday morning and could reach Category 2 strength later in the day, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

Most weather models forecast the storm would remain out of the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico for at least the next five days as it heads toward Bermuda.

The center of Bertha, which strengthened into a hurricane Monday morning, was located about 775 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, which include the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Barbuda, Antigua, Montserrat and Guadeloupe.

Bertha was moving west-northwest at about 15 miles per hour, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph.

The NHC forecast Bertha would strengthen into Category 2 hurricane, with winds of 96-110 mph, in about 12 hours, before weakening back into a Category 1 hurricane in about two days.

Energy traders watch for storms that could enter the Gulf of Mexico and threaten U.S. oil and gas production facilities.

Commodities traders also watch storms that could hit agriculture crops like citrus and cotton in Florida and other states along the Gulf Coast.

While a hurricane does not form in the Atlantic every year in July, the NHC noted another Hurricane Bertha formed in 1996 which, coincidentally, also happened on July 7.

The NHC will issue another advisory at 5 p.m. EDT.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Walter Bagley)