A weather system far out in the Atlantic strengthened yesterday into Tropical Storm Irene, the ninth named storm of the busy Atlantic hurricane season.

The National Hurricane Centre said Irene was poorly organised and little strengthening was forecast over the next day.

The centre's five-day projection indicated the storm will make a turn to the north, bringing it east of Bermuda.

The storm had sustained wind of 40 mph ? just above the 39 mph threshold for a tropical storm.

The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on November 30.