• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Season's first named storm fizzles to depression

Adjust font size:

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Subtropical Storm Andrea, the season's first named storm, was downgraded to subtropical depression status Thursday.

In its 11 a.m. ET bulletin, the National Hurricane Center said the tropical storm watch along the Georgia and Florida coasts was lifted.

Andrea's top sustained wind speed dropped from 40 mph (64 kph) to 35 mph (56 kph), the statement said.

The storm was drifting southward, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the Atlantic coast east-southeast of Jacksonville, Florida.

Andrea was expected to continue weakening over the next 24 hours, the hurricane center said.

Hope was fading that the storm would produce more than a sprinkling of much-needed rain for coastal areas of Florida and Georgia, according to CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.

Firefighters battling thousands of acres of wildfires there had hoped the storm would produce rain to dampen the flames, rather than wind that might fan them. (Full story)

"Andrea is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of one-half to one inch along coastal areas of the southeastern U.S.," the hurricane center said. (Watch what's behind the recent extreme weather )

The storm received its name Wednesday, more than three weeks ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season's official start on June 1.

Subtropical storms differ from tropical storms in some technical characteristics relating to wind and temperature, according to the hurricane center's Web site.

Portrait of Jackson's pill consumption emerges Singer Michael Jackson took more than 10 Xanax pills a night, asking his employees to get the prescription sleep medicine under their names and also persona ...

---

• Jackson's pill use emerges
• McNair taped suicide prevention ad
• Mexico drug war deaths on the rise
• Club accused of discrimination
• NYT admits photos manipulated

• McNair taped suicide prevention ad before death
• 20-year study: Fewer calories may slow aging
• Wind, terrain cited as causes of Fossett crash
• Swim club tells minority kids group not to return
• Shriners hospitals may become outpatient-only