Tropical Storm Harvey Is Born

Tropical Storm Harvey has become the eighth tropical storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Harvey is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) east of Roatan Island, Honduras, and about 285 miles (460 km) east-southeast of Belize City. A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Bay Islands of Honduras and the Belize coast.

The storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and is moving west toward Central America. Harvey is forecast to strengthen before arriving in Belize, but there is only a small chance that Harvey will intensify into a hurricane in the next 78 hours.

The 2011 season has already set a record for the most number of storms without a hurricane.

Though this season has yet to spawn a hurricane, it is forecast to be a doozy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updated its forecast on Aug. 4, predicting 14 to 19 named storms (which include tropical storms and hurricanes), seven to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). An average Atlantic hurricane season will see 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

August through October are the peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season.

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