Tropical Storm Dennis Menaces Bahamas

 MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical storm Dennis formed in the western Atlantic Tuesday, prompting storm warnings in the Bahamas and calls for people on the southeastern U.S. coast to stay alert.

A U.S. Air Force ``hurricane hunter'' plane flew over the mass of thunderstorms and found its circulating winds had reached 45 mph, putting it over the 39 mph threshold to become the fourth named storm of the Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season.

Tropical storm warnings were posted for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands, alerting residents to expect storm-strength winds of 39 mph within 24 hours. A tropical storm watch was issued for the central Bahamas, alerting residents that tropical storm conditions could threaten.

Forecasters also urged residents of the southeastern United States to monitor the storm's progress. It was expected to turn north away from the U.S. mainland, but could still threaten the shoreline if that turn does not come soon, forecasters said.

``It's going to be very close,'' Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, said. ``We're not saying there is a threat now but there is a potential threat.''

At 2 p.m. EDT, Dennis was centered about 85 miles north of the Turks group of islands, near latitude 22.7 north, longitude 71.2 west. It was moving west-northwest at about 9 mph and was expected to continue on that path through Wednesday.

The storm's top winds were near 45 mph. Forecasters expected it to strengthen gradually through Wednesday, possibly reaching hurricane strength of at least 74 mph in a few more days.

Meanwhile tropical Storm Cindy spun farther out in the Atlantic Tuesday and was a danger only to shipping interests, forecasters said. Cindy briefly gained hurricane strength during the weekend but quickly lost intensity.

At 11 a.m. EDT, Cindy's center was at latitude 17.6 north and longitude 41.8 west, or about 1,290 miles east of the Lesser Antilles islands of the eastern Caribbean Sea, the National Hurricane Center said.

It was moving west-northwest at about 15 mph with maximum winds of about 60 mph and was not expected to strengthen or veer from that track for the next 24 hours.

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