Subtropical Storm Ana is officially the first named storm of 2015, having formed off the coast of the Carolinas late last night.

Ana appears to have arrived prematurely, as the Atlantic hurricane season does not officially begin until June 1.

The storm is not expected have a great impact on Bermuda. “Storm in the area arrives today with a risk of thunder this afternoon into early evening,” the Bermuda Weather Service forecast said. “Shower activity decreases Saturday afternoon as the high pressure begins to build.”

Josh Powell, duty officer at Bermuda Radio, said: “We thought it was going to affect us quite a bit, but there is actually a nice high pressure that is pushing it away — the Bermuda Azores high. The only weather we are going to get is this afternoon/this evening. We will have a bit of thunderstorm activity from one of the rain bands off the storm.

“Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be nice; it should clear by late this evening.

“I can see some rain coming in now on the radar. We will be monitoring it closely through the Tropical Weather Outlook and the National Hurricane Centre to get as many updates as possible. The winds are a maximum of 12 knots, so it’s not looking too bad.”

The Bermuda Weather Service will be updating its weather forecast today at noon.

The US Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters measured surface winds from 40 to 45mph, which put Ana into a storm category rather than a depression.

Ana’s centre is expected to travel towards the north-west and cross the northern coast of South Carolina by Sunday.