WASHINGTON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Storm Beryl has become a hurricane, the first of the 2018 season in the Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Friday.

According to an advisory, Beryl's maximum sustained winds reached 75 mph (120 kph).

The hurricane, which became a tropical depression and then a tropical storm on Thursday, was located about 1,140 miles (1,834 km) east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles.

Forecasters say it is moving toward the west at a speed of 14 mph (22 kph).

The NHC said it is expected to quickly weaken by late Saturday and become a tropical storm late Sunday or Monday.