Fred leaves Cape Verde islands and weakens to tropical storm

As of Tuesday, September 1, 2015

TROPICAL Storm Fred moved away from the Cape Verde Islands on Tuesday and is forecast to weaken in the Atlantic Ocean.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds are reported by the US National Hurricane Centre as near 65mph after it had downgraded Fred - the easternmost hurricane known to have formed in the Atlantic tropics - to a tropical storm.

Fred is centred about 225 miles northwest of the Cape Verde Islands and is moving west-north-west near 12mph.

Authorities in Cape Verde said the first hurricane to pass over the West African islands caused flooding, uprooted trees and tore off some roofs but caused no major damage or injuries.

Arlindo Lima, head of the country’s Civil Protection Service, told Portuguese radio RDP-Africa on Tuesday that Hurricane Fred lashed the former Portuguese colony with high winds, knocking out power in some areas of the 10-island archipelago, while heavy rain forced the closure of some roads. Authorities closed ports and airports as Fred approached on Monday.

Cape Verde, about 350 miles off West Africa’s coast, has a population of around 512,000.