Tropical Storm Beryl could grow

The calendar has turned to July and, as if on cue, the warm Atlantic waters are starting to churn with activity.

A low-pressure weather system brewing in the central Atlantic Ocean was upgraded to a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday.

Tropical Storm Beryl, the second named storm of the season, is not expected to have an impact in Florida, forecasters said.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, Beryl was located about 2,800 miles southeast of Miami, moving west at 16 miles per hour.

Meteorologists estimate that the storm is displaying maximum sustained winds of up to 50 mph, with gusts blowing even faster.

The storm, which forecasters described as “tiny,” could grow into a hurricane by Friday or Saturday before dissipating this weekend.

Beryl is expected to continue westward toward the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, where dry air and fast upper-level winds will likely cause the storm to fizzle. The storm, however, will affect portions of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend.

A second disturbance is a few hundred miles southwest of Bermuda, forecasters said.

While not yet a tropical storm, the system has a 30 percent chance during the next two days and a 40 percent chance in the next five days of turning into one, the National Hurricane Center said.