Tropical Storm Bertha speeding over Atlantic

Could be halfway to Caribbean before Sunday; strengthening expected

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updated 5:19 p.m. ET July 5, 2008

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Bertha continues to speed across the Atlantic Ocean.

At 5 p.m. EDT Saturday, Bertha was centered about 1,015 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. It was expected to be about halfway between the west coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles late Saturday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with some higher gusting. Forecasters say conditions are expected to become more conducive for strengthening and Bertha could become the Atlantic season's first hurricane in a few days.

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It's still too early to say if or where Bertha will hit land.

The first named storm this year, Arthur, formed in the Atlantic the day before the season officially started June 1 and soaked the Yucatan Peninsula.