The first hurricane of the season has formed in the West Atlantic.

Hurricane Beryl, upgraded overnight from a tropical storm, remains on a slow course towards the Caribbean.

However it is expected to dwindle before it reaches the Lesser Antilles late on Sunday. It is said not be a threat to Bermuda.

At 6am today, Beryl was nearly 2,000 miles south-east of Bermuda, with winds of 75mph, and gusts of more than 90mph.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, spared Bermuda last year, but battered the Caribbean as well as the United States.

Recovery efforts are still under way in islands across the Caribbean, and an above-average season is expected again this year with seas warmer than usual.