Gonzalo strength remains steady as it approaches Caribbean

Tropical Storm Gonzalo continued to move across the Atlantic on Thursday, though it hadn't strengthened since the previous night, forecasters said. As of late Thursday night, Gonzalo was centered about 730 miles (1,170 kilometers) east of the southern Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).

Tropical Storm Gonzalo continued to move across the Atlantic on Thursday, though it hadn't strengthened since the previous night, forecasters said. As of late Thursday night, Gonzalo was centered about 730 miles (1,170 kilometers) east of the southern Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph). A U.S. National Hurricane Center advisory said the storm was heading west at 14 mph (22 kph). Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center.

The Hurricane Center said that those in the Windward Islands should monitor the storm as it is expected to approach the islands late Friday and Saturday. As some strengthening is forecast, there is still a chance that Gonzalo could become a hurricane, but the storm is expected to weaken as it moves into the Caribbean Sea. A hurricane watch has been issued for Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Tobago and Grenada.

When Gonzalo strengthened into a named storm Wednesday, it became the earliest named seventh tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The previous record was held by Tropical Storm Gert, which formed on July 24, 2005. So far this year, Cristobal, Danielle, Edouard, and Fay also set records for being the earliest named Atlantic storms of their respective place in the alphabet.