Tropical Storm Bertha raked Bermuda with high winds on Monday while kicking up choppy surf along the East Coast of the United States, REPORTED AP. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm was just 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of the Atlantic island Monday morning and it said sustained, tropical storm-force winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts of 68 mph (108 kph) had been recorded at Commissioner's Point. JetBlue canceled Monday flights from Bermuda to Boston and New York, while American Airlines passengers scheduled to travel to Miami and New York were flown out on Sunday. Bertha was moving north-northwest near 8 mph (13 kph) with maximum sustained winds near its core at 65 mph (105 kph). Over the weekend, most tourists avoided the storm-whipped surf and rip currents along Bermuda's southern coast and authorities began posting signs announcing beach closures. Residents taped up windows and secured boats. The U.S. National Weather Service said Bertha created tricky waves and currents along U.S. East Coast, and officials said that may have contributed to at least one drowning death Saturday along a New Jersey beach. Bertha became the Atlantic season's first hurricane on July 7. Meanwhile, Elida became the second hurricane of the Eastern Pacific region's season, scattering rains across Mexico's central coast. But the storm, with winds of 75 mph (120 kph), was headed away from land. Elida was centered about 475 miles (765 kilometers) south-southeast of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and it was moving west-northwest at near 16 mph (26 kph).
