Gabrielle is forecast to continue weakening due to increased wind shear and cooler sea-surface temperatures as it moves northeast. Still, forecasters said the storm will likely bring hurricane conditions to the Azores late Thursday through Friday.

The former Hurricane Gabrielle is expected to bring heavy rain, high winds and a storm surge to the Azores islands despite forecasters downgrading the system.

Gabrielle is starting to lose some steam as it moves over cooler ocean waters, which are less supportive of tropical systems.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed over the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday morning, becoming this year's seventh named storm. Forecasters expect the system to curve away from the U.S. as it strengthens, a path that a majority of this year's six other named storms have followed, mercifully avoiding direct hits to land.

Gabrielle has strengthened into a major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean but was forecast to remain far from land. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center says Monday that Gabrielle’s

Meanwhile, the quick-moving Tropical Storm Gabrielle is churning near to the Azores, where a hurricane watch is in force for the entire Portuguese archipelago. At 0900 GMT Friday, the storm was about 145 miles (230 kilometers) east-northeast of Faial Island in the central Azores.

Tropical activity has increased in the Atlantic Ocean as the WPTV First Alert Weather Team is tracking two named storms and one other area that has a high chance of developing.