MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Beryl, the second named storm of 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, formed off the North Carolina coast Tuesday and a tropical storm watch was issued for the eastern part of the state.
At about 5 p.m. EDT, a hurricane reconnaissance aircraft reported that the storm's maximum sustained winds were at least 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was centered about 180 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving toward the north at about 6 mph.
Early indications were that the system's sustained wind wouldn't reach 74 mph, the threshold for a hurricane, said hurricane specialist Jamie Rhome.