Earl downgraded to tropical storm

MIAMI, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Hurricane Earl weakened to a tropical storm Friday evening as it raced toward Cape Cod in Massachusetts, forecasters said.

At 11 p.m. EDT, Earl's center was 90 miles south-southwest of Nantucket, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was a large one with tropical storm force winds extending 205 miles out from the center and was moving toward the northeast at 25 mph.

The hurricane threatened much of the East Coast after approaching the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But Earl remained far enough offshore to cause little more than inconvenience in most places.

One death has been blamed on the hurricane, The Wall Street Journal reported. Pardip Singh of Carteret, N.J., disappeared Thursday night while swimming at the beach in Belmar.

Amtrak suspended service between Boston and New York Friday afternoon, stranding some travelers as the Labor Day weekend began.

A hurricane warning for Cape Cod was discontinued late Friday, replaced with a tropical storm warning. The Journal said most residents were advised not to evacuate.

Forecasters said Earl, with top sustained winds of 70 mph late Friday, was expected to weaken and to move forward more quickly as it heads for Canada's Maritime Provinces.