#Tropical Storm Josephine expected to veer toward Bermuda

Tropical Storm Josephine continued her northwest trek in the Atlantic Ocean Friday morning — but won’t come anywhere near the United States.

Josephine is moving west-northwest at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as of 5 a.m., according to Accuweather.

The record-setting storm is expected to pass just east and north of the Leeward Islands Friday night and Saturday, before heading north and swinging slightly east, toward Bermuda.

A vertical wind shear from the southwest will weaken the storm system’s wind intensity, according to Accuweather’s hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski.

She’s expected to reach Bermuda on Tuesday — but will have lost her punch by then and may be downgraded to a tropical depression.

“By that time, Josephine could be a depression, but it still might have a large area of rain and gusty winds that could impact Bermuda Tuesday night and Wednesday of next week,” Kottlowski said.

Josephine is the earliest “J” storm named in a hurricane season — which typically doesn’t come until mid-October.

The record was formerly held by Jose, which developed on Aug. 22, 2005.

Meanwhile, another system has formed northeast of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, with a 40 percent chance of turning into a tropical or subtropical depression over the next two days, according to the National Hurricane Center.