Tropical Storm Gabrielle Threateans Caribbean

Tropical storm Gabrielle has formed in the Caribbean, threatening parts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic with heavy rains, the National Hurricane Center said late Wednesday.

The Miami-based center said the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

It said the center of the storm should pass near or just west of Puerto Rico Wednesday night and early Thursday, and near or just east of the Dominican Republic Thursday and Thursday evening.

As of 0300 GMT, Gabrielle was about 70 miles (110 km) south of Ponce, Puerto Rico and moving northwest at a speed of 8 mph (13 kph).