Tropical Storm Bertha makes U-turn east

MIAMI, July 16 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Bertha made a loop in the central Atlantic Ocean after brushing Bermuda and was headed east midday Wednesday, forecasters said.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 11 a.m., Bertha was moving slowly east at 3 mph, 380 miles northeast of Bermuda.

The storm had sustained winds of 70 mph with gusts up to 85 mph. Forecasters altered an earlier report to say little change in strength was expected in the next couple of days.

Tropical storm force winds extended 140 from the center of the storm, the report said.

There were no reports of injuries or damage estimates from Bertha's eastern swipe at the island Monday, although power outages, some flooding and uprooted trees were reported Tuesday.

Bertha became a tropical storm July 3 and was one of the farthest-east to form off Africa. Four days later it became a Category 1 hurricane and over the next week varied in intensity, becoming a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds on July 9.