Cristobal churns off U.S. coast

MIAMI, July 19 (UPI) -- Tropical storm Cristobal lurked off the Carolina coast Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

The weather center said storm watches and warnings had been issued for most coastal regions of both North and South Carolina.

Cristobal was producing sustained winds near 45 mph and was located about 130 miles east of Charleston, S.C. It was moving slowly northeastward and was expected to slowly strengthen as it moves "parallel and very close" to the coasts of both North and South Carolina for the "next day or so," the hurricane center said.

Three to 5 inches of rain was expected in North Carolina, with more possible in isolated areas.

Hurricane Bertha, meanwhile, was moving quickly northeastward out into the Atlantic about 490 miles east-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. It was carrying winds of up to 75 mph but was expected to weaken in coming days.

Out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Fausto was about 460 miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, the hurricane center reported.

Fausto was moving toward Mexico at about 8 mph, with winds of almost 85 mph. However, it was expected to weaken gradually Sunday night and Monday.

The hurricane center said reconnaissance aircraft were investigating a strong tropical wave in the western Caribbean sea. That system, which was producing a large area of thunderstorms with winds up to 45 mph south of Jamaica, was likely to become a tropical depression or tropical storm in the next day or two, the forecasters said.