Hurricane Danielle to strengthen, head near Bermuda

Eileen Moustakis in Reuters: Hurricane Danielle, which strengthened early Tuesday in the open Atlantic Ocean to a Category 2 storm, packing winds of 100 miles per hour, was expected to gain strength but posed no threat to energy interests in the Gulf of Mexico as it headed northwest and to the east of Bermuda.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Tuesday that Danielle was about 1,100 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, moving west at 20 mph. According to several forecasters, the storm was expected to strengthen by early Wednesday to Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale at its intensity peak, with sustained winds over 111 mph.

Computer models showed Danielle curving to the northwest on a path that would keep it over open seas, turning more northerly to the east of Bermuda…..

Hurricane Danielle as of August 23, 2010 13:20 UTC.