Tropical Storm Bret was the second named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. Bret formed along the southwestern periphery of a weather front north of the Bahamas on July 17. At first, the storm moved little and gradually strengthened in response to favorable upper-level conditions, reaching peak sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). Steering currents in the area subsequently became better established, and Bret turned toward the northeast only to encounter a substantial increase in vertical wind shear. Despite the shear, the storm maintained a well-defined wind circulation for several days, with intermittent bursts of thunderstorms near its center. By July 22, Bret had been devoid of strong thunderstorm activity for several hours, prompting the National Hurricane Center to discontinue public advisories when it was located about 375 miles (604 km) north of Bermuda. Tropical Storm: peak winds of 70 mph (60 knots), lowest pressure 995 mb. July 16 – July 23, 2011. Accumulated cyclone energy: 3.3. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track AL022011 (public domain).