TS Bret Moves Farther from Cuba

HAVANA TIMES, July 18 — Tropical Storm Bret gained in strength on Monday afternoon and is now close to hurricane status with 100 kph (62 mph) as it moves north-northeast away from the Bahamas and deeper into the Atlantic.

At 6:00 p.m. EDT, the Cuban Meteorology Institute (INSMET) pegged Bret at 180 kilometers (119 mph) north-northeast from Gran Abaco Island, Bahamas.

INSMET said the storm is moving at 11 kph (7 mph) and predicted that it would turn further to the northeast in the coming 12-24 hours, speeding up both its movement and intensity which could reach hurricane status.

See the INSMET map of TS Bret.