The 2023 Hurricane Season showed it still had life yesterday as Hurricane Tammy became the seventh Atlantic hurricane of the year.

The Category 1 hurricane is expected to batter the Leeward Islands today, potentially bringing heavy rainfall and flooding, before turning north.

While the storm is expected to move closer to Bermuda over the coming days, the system was yesterday not considered a threat to the island.

The Bermuda Weather Service said yesterday Hurricane Tammy was still about 1,300 miles south-southeast of Bermuda.

As of 6pm, the Bermuda Weather Service said the storm’s closest point of approach in the next three days is expected to be just under 700 miles south of the island at 6pm on Monday.

However, the BWS warned that the storm could come closer after that time.

The US National Hurricane Centre said that as of yesterday afternoon the storm boasted maximum sustained winds of 75mph with higher gusts.

“Gradual strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Tammy is expected to be a hurricane while it moves near or over portions of the Leeward Islands,” the NHC said.

“Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the centre and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.”

The 2023 hurricane season has been forecast to be busier than usual as warmer-than-normal water temperatures offset El Niño, a weather phenomenon known to limit hurricane development in the Atlantic.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated in its mid-season forecast that the season could include 14 to 21 named storms, of which between six and 11 could reach hurricane strength.

Of those storms, it is estimated that two to five could become major hurricanes reaching at least Category 3 strength with winds of 111mph or greater.

So far this season, the Atlantic has recorded 20 named storms, including seven hurricanes, three of which became major hurricanes.

The season concludes at the end of November.