Subtropical storm Ana formed in the Atlantic Ocean early Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Ana was located about 200 miles northeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, the hurricane center said in a 5 a.m. advisory. The system was expected to continue its slow and erratic motion, and then dissipate in a few days, forecasters said.
A tropical storm watch was in effect for Bermuda.
“The system is considered a subtropical cyclone rather than a tropical cyclone since it is still entangled with an upper-level low as evident in water vapor satellite images, but it does have some tropical characteristics as well,” the hurricane center said.
Ana was the first named storm in the Atlantic this year, though hurricane season doesn’t officially start until June 1. Meteorologists expect the 2021 season to be busy, but not as crazy as the record-breaking 2020 season.
The NOAA outlook predicts a likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms with sustained winds of at least 39 mph. It says six to 10 of those are likely to become hurricanes, and three to five may become major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
