Tropical Depression Gabrielle is maintaining its maximum sustained winds of 30 mph but it is barely remaining a tropical cyclone and is expected to weaken further Thursday night or Friday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
As of 5 p.m., Gabrielle was moving northwest at 9 mph and was located about 30 miles south-southwest of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
Gabrielle was downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression Thursday morning. Gabrielle is expected to degenerate into a remnant low-pressure area Thursday night for Friday as its center passes near or over the eastern Dominican Republic, the National Hurricane Center said.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.
Gabrielle, which became the seventh named storm of the season late Wednesday, is expected to turn toward the north-northwest in the next 24 hours or so.
Gabrielle is expected to bring between 2-4 inches of rain over Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with isolated amounts of up to 8 inches. The rains could cause dangerous flash floods and mud slides over mountainous terrain.
The storm will stay well east of the United States and poses no threat to South Florida.
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Photo Credit: National Hurricane Center