The first tropical storm of the 2009 hurricane season formed in the Atlantic Ocean at 5 a.m. on Saturday, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.</p><p>The NHC said Tropical Storm Ana has winds of 40 mph. Ana is located more than 1,000 miles east of the Leeward Islands.</p><p>Ana is moving toward the west at 16 mph. Forecasters said the storm is expected to continue generally westward and approach the Leeward Islands on Monday.</p><p>The long-range forecast track shows Ana may be near South Florida and the Keys on Thursday, Aug. 20. At this time Ana is forecast to remain a tropical storm. </p><p>The full NHC advisory is shown below. For current official information, see the NHC website at <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#ANA" target="_blank">www.nhc.noaa.gov/#ANA</a>:</p><p><hr> <br> BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM ANA ADVISORY NUMBER 13 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL022009 500 AM AST SAT AUG 15 2009</p><p>...ANA FORMS IN THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC OCEAN...</p><p>INTERESTS IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF TROPICAL STORM ANA. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS LATER TODAY.</p><p>FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.</p><p>AT 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ANA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 46.8 WEST OR ABOUT 1010 MILES...1630 KM...EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.</p><p>ANA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 16 MPH...26 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. ON THIS FORECAST TRACK ANA COULD BE APPROACHING THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON MONDAY. </p><p>MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST FOR NEXT 48 HOURS. </p><p>TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM FROM THE CENTER.</p><p>THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE BASED ON DATA FROM NOAA BUOY 41041 IS 1005 MB...29.68 INCHES.</p><p>...SUMMARY OF 500 AM AST INFORMATION... LOCATION...14.6N 46.8W MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH PRESENT MOVEMENT...WEST OR 270 DEGREES AT 16 MPH MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1005 MB</p><p>THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1100 AM AST.</p><p>$$ FORECASTER BLAKE</p><p><hr> <br></p><p><h5>Weather links</h5></p><p><b><a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">The National Hurricane Center</a></b><br> <br> <b><a href="http://www.srh.noaa.gov/key/" target="_blank">National Weather Service forecast office for the Keys</a></b><br> <br> <b><a href="http://www.srh.noaa.gov/key/HTML/hazards/local_hazards.php" target="_blank">Florida Keys current hazards page</a></b><br> <br> <b><a href="http://www.srh.noaa.gov/key/HTML/obs.php" target="_blank">Florida Keys current conditions</a></b> &mdash; weather observations page<br> <br> <b><a href="http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=MLRF1">Molasses Reef Bouy</a></b></b> &mdash; offshore conditions buoy network<br> <br> <b><a href="http://radar.weather.gov/radar_lite.php?rid=byx&product=NCR&loop=yes" target="_blank">Key West radar</a></b> &mdash; NEXRAD composite loop<br> <br> <b><a href="http://radar.weather.gov/radar_lite.php?rid=amx&product=NCR&loop=yes" target="_blank">Miami radar</a></b> &mdash; NEXRAD composite loop<br> <br> <br> <b><a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATWOAT+shtml/010302.shtml" target="_blank">Tropical Weather Outlook</a></b> &mdash; TPC/NHC weather discussion text<br>