Hurricane Bertha regains strength heading toward Bermuda

Hurricane Bertha regains strength heading toward Bermuda

Forecasters say Hurricane Bertha could become slightly stronger over the next 24 hours as it heads toward Bermuda.

Forecasters have been urging people on the island to monitor the storm's progress. They expect the Category 2 storm to produce large swells and high surf there during the next few days.

It's still unknown if or when the hurricane will make landfall.

As of about 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) Thursday, the center of the storm was about 545 miles (877 kilometers) southeast of Bermuda.

Maximum sustained winds are about 105 mph (170 kph) with some higher gusting.

The Atlantic season's first hurricane is traveling northwest at about 9 mph (14 kph).