Bill threatens to become major storm

The Atlantic season\'s first hurricane, Bill, is threatening to become a major storm in another two days, as the depression formerly called Tropical Storm Ana, fizzles.



However with the persistent rains associated with Ana still affecting the northeastern Caribbean, tropical storm watches have remained in place for 10 of those countries.



Forecasters say Hurricane Bill, which picked up some of its momentum from Ana, could become a major system by Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds now reaching near 75 miles per hour.



round 10 a.m.this morning the Miami based National Hurricane Centre said Bill was about 1, 160 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and moving quickly toward the west-northwest near 22 miles per hour.



With a much weaker Ana still moving through the northeastern Caribbean, the governments of St Kitts and Nevis, St Martin, Saba, St Eustatius, Guadeloupe, St Barthelemy, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the US and British Virgin Islands have kept tropical storm watches in effect.



Ana\'s maximum sustained winds have decreased to about 35 miles per hour and the tropical depression, now located about 70 miles south of St Croix, is moving towards the west-northwest near 28 miles per hour.