Epsilon forecast to become a hurricane approaching Bermuda

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Epsilon has gained new strength and is expected to become a hurricane in the coming hours before it approaches Bermuda on Thursday.

Epsilon is expected to make its closest approach to the island on Thursday night, and there is a risk of a direct impact, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Bermuda and residents have been urged to closely monitor the storm.

The Miami-based hurricane center said Epsilon had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) late Tuesday afternoon — up from 60 mph (95 kph) hours earlier. The storm was located about 615 miles (995 kilometers) east-southeast of Bermuda as of 5 p.m. EDT and it was moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).

Meteorologists said more strengthening is expected and Epsilon is forecast to become a hurricane during the night hours or sometime early Wednesday.

This year's hurricane season has had so many storms that the Hurricane Center has turned to the Greek alphabet for storm names after running out of official names.

Epsilon also represents a record for the earliest 26th named storm, beating out a storm on Nov. 22 in 2005, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.