Tropical Storm Kate is forecast to pass well east of the island as the 2021 hurricane season heats up.

TS Kate, named on Sunday, was about 1,063 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving north at 5mph at 6am today.

The storm was not considered a threat to the island at present.

The storm’s closest point of approach in the next three days is expected to be about 588 miles east of Bermuda on Thursday night.

But forecasters said Kate could move closer to Bermuda after that.

The Bermuda Weather Service said the storm packed sustained winds of 40mph with gusts reaching 52mph.

The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast that this year’s hurricane season would likely be busier than average with a 65 per cent chance of an above-normal season with between 15 and 21 named storms.

Between seven and ten storms are expected to reach hurricane strength and three to five could become major hurricanes with winds of more than 111mph.

There have been 11 named storms recorded this season, including four hurricanes – two of which reached major hurricane levels.

Hurricane Grace struck the Mexican state of Veracruz as a Category 3 storm on August 21 and Hurricane Ida made landfall last Sunday in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm.