On August 9, a
low pressure system in the upper levels of the atmosphere formed off the east coast of Florida. It became a surface low by the next day and acquired the characteristics of a tropical cyclone; it is officially stated to have become a tropical depression at 1200
UTC on August 10. The depression slowly advanced northeastward within a relatively cold environment, and as such, it did not intensify for several days. The system turned more toward the east as it approached the coast of
North Carolina, at which time its structure became conducive to further development. On August 14, the depression was declared a tropical storm and assigned the name Beth following recent data from a
reconnaissance aircraft. Several hundred miles off the
U.S. East Coast, Beth accelerated somewhat – reaching forward speeds of up to as it resumed a northeastward course. Its minimum central pressure deepened to , and correspondingly,
maximum sustained winds increased. In response, the cyclone was recognized as a Category 1 hurricane. It continued to mature as it passed east of
Cape Cod, achieving peak winds of and a pressure of . Subsequently, the hurricane weakened slightly while nearing Nova Scotia. On August 16, it made
landfall near
Copper Lake before crossing
Cape Breton Island. Shortly thereafter, Beth was swept up by a nearby
cold front and transitioned into an
extratropical cyclone. ==Preparations and impact==