Tropical Storm Fred weakens far off in Atlantic; Linda becomes a remnant low in the Pacific

Tropical Storm Fred weakening in the open Atlantic

MIAMI — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Fred is losing steam in the middle of the Atlantic and will likely weaken to a remnant sometime Saturday.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Fred’s maximum sustained winds had dropped to near 40 mph (65 kph). The storm was nearly stationary but could start moving to the north or northwest later today.

Fred is centered about 650 miles (1,045 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands.