Hurricane Ophelia Downgraded as It Heads North Over Atlantic

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Weather forecasters tracking a previously powerful Category 3 hurricane in the mid-Atlantic said Monday it had weakened to a tropical storm headed toward the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, Canada.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami lowered Hurricane Ophelia to a Category 1 storm, with top sustained winds weakened to about 70 mph. It was moving northeast at 43 mph.

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Centered about 55 miles west-southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, early Monday, Ophelia is expected to continue to weaken but still pack powerful winds. Authorities there declared a tropical storm watch in effect for the entire peninsula.

Meanwhile, forecasters said another tropical storm, named Philippe, which was moving over the central Atlantic is not expected to affect land.

Joe Jackson is a contributor at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @joejackson. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.