MIAMI, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Tropical storm Edouard weakened Tuesday afternoon and began a 6 mph journey toward the Florida coast with 50 mph winds, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
The storm, located 120 miles east of Jacksonville and headed west-southwest, was expected to weaken further before it made landfall, possibly near Daytona Beach, Fla., Wednesday.
"Edouard is expected to continue weakening and is forecast to be a tropical depression by the time it makes landfall," said forecaster James Franklin.
Since the storm is expected to diminish below tropical storm status, which starts at 39 mph winds, no warning was issued.
But a tropical storm watch was in effect from Fernandina Beach, Fla., south to Titusville, Fla.
The top wind strength increased from 40 mph and 65 mph between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., but it began weakening rapidly.
Forecasters said dry air and wind shear knocked the storm's heavy weather away from the center.
If had strengthened to 74 mph, Edouard would have been the 2002 Atlantic-Caribbean season's first hurricane.
At 5 p.m. EDT, the center of the storm was at latitude 29.8 north, longitude 79.2 west. Tropical storm force winds extend out 70 miles from the center.
Further out in the Atlantic, Dolly, a poorly organized tropical storm, was moving north at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
It was centered at latitude 23.1 north, longitude 52.0 west, or 1,035 miles southeast of Bermuda. Dolly was not considered a threat to land.
