The storm brought 5 inches (13 cm) of rain to some parts of the North Carolina coast around Cape Fear and one inch (2.5 cm) to other parts. The weather remained changeable with periods of sunshine, local weather reports said.

The storm, which was heading northeast at 7 miles per hour (11 kph), is the third of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. Its winds were near 50 mph (80 kph) but were expected to strengthen. The storm was projected to run parallel to the coast on Sunday and then to veer away on Monday, the center said.

Conditions were also favorable for the development of a new storm system over the northwestern Caribbean Sea. It was already producing numerous showers and thunderstorms with wind squalls hitting gale force.

"This system appears likely to become a tropical depression or a tropical storm within the next couple of days as it moves west-northwestward at 15-20 mph (24-32 kph) toward the southern Gulf of Mexico," the Center said.

Meanwhile, tropical storm Bertha, on its way to becoming the longest-lived Atlantic storm on record, was losing strength around 670 miles (1,078 km) east-northeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. (Writing by Matthew Bigg; editing by Alan Elsner)