Storm Cristobal forms off U.S., Bertha weakens

By Michael Christie

MIAMI (Reuters) - The third tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Cristobal, formed off the U.S. East Coast on Saturday, with gale-force winds and heavy rains expected to lash the Carolinas as the storm grazes the shoreline on a northeasterly path.

Hurricane Bertha, meanwhile, finally weakened over cool Atlantic waters but a strong tropical wave south of Jamaica was expected to develop into a depression -- the precursor to a storm -- as it headed toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the oil rigs of the Gulf of Mexico beyond.

Cristobal strengthened after forming but then held steady and was not seen becoming a hurricane, which requires winds of at least 74 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Cristobal was about 45 miles southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, by 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT) and moving to the northeast parallel to the coastline at 6 mph with 45 mph winds, the Miami-based hurricane center said.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from north of Little River Inlet to the North Carolina/Virginia border and up to 5 inches of rain could be expected in coastal areas, the center said.

Bertha, far to the east in the open Atlantic, had displayed an ominous resilience as it raced over chilly waters in the direction of distant Iceland. By late evening, the hurricane finally weakened back into a tropical storm.

Now on its way to becoming one of the longest-lived Atlantic storms on record, Bertha formed on July 3 near the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Africa, signaling an early start to what might be an active six-month hurricane season.

GETTING INTO GEAR  Continued...