Meteorologists’ research has shown that Tropical Storm Bertha has begun moving away from the Cape Verde Islands on Friday morning after forming in the far eastern Atlantic on Thursday afternoon.

The storm is expected to take a turn to the northwest and then north before it reaches North America. It’s early to predict any development of it.

Bertha is the first Atlantic Ocean tropical storm of the season and is expected in March next year. At the time being it doesn’t appear like a coast threat. Government and private forecasters think the storm will be around normal or a bit above.

The center of the storm was located near latitude 14.2 north, longitude 28.3 west, about 315 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, at 4 a.m. EDT. Bertha seems to be moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph. maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph and estimated central pressure is 1002 mb (29.59 inches).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center projected around 12 to 16 storms in May, including 2 to 5 hurricanes. According to the New York Times, all it takes is one storm and one inadequately prepared community to turn any kind of storm or hurricane into something catastrophic.

The next advisory will be issued at 10 a.m. by the National Hurricane Center.