Cindy swirled into life in the Atlantic three days after Tropical Storm Bret, which was weakening as it headed also on a northeastern track out to sea and away from the US coast.
“The center of Cindy will remain far from land over the open Atlantic,” the Miami-based hurricane center said.
At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), Cindy was packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (65 km per hour) and was located about 665 miles (1,065 km) east northeast of Bermuda.
Bret, whose winds had diminished to 45 mph (75 kph), was forecast to weaken to a remnant low in 48 hours and dissipate completely in 72 hours. It was about 480 miles (775 km) west of Bermuda and was moving on a track that would take it well north of the mid-Atlantic British overseas territory.
The US government’s weather agency has forecast an “above normal” 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, spawning six to 10 hurricanes of which around half could become major. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2011 forecast released in May anticipated 12 to 18 named storms this year.
This sees a slightly lower level of activity than the busy 2010 season that produced 19 named storms, tying for the third most active season with 1887 and 1995.
Twelve of the 2010 storms grew into hurricanes, tying with 1969 for the second most active season in that category.
Far away to the east in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico, Hurricane Dora strengthened to a Category 3 storm, the US National Hurricane Center said.