HURRICANE SEASON 2008

Cristobal moves parallel to North Carolina

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Cristobal moved "parallel and very close" to the North Carolina coast Sunday morning, but the storm was expected to move away from the eastern U.S. coast by Monday.

Cristobal had not strengthened beyond the 45 mph (75 km/hr) top winds measured Saturday afternoon when it reached tropical storm status, according to the 5 a.m. ET Sunday advisory from the National Hurricane Center said.

"The center of the tropical storm is expected to move parallel and very close to the coast of North Carolina today and begin to move away from the coast by Monday," the NHC said. It is expected to dump 1 or 2 inches of rain along the North Carolina coast Sunday, it said.

A discussion posted online by NHC forecasters said the satellite view of Cristobal "remained unimpressive-looking" and predicted the storm would "lose tropical characteristics" over the next two or three days.

A tropical storm warning -- meaning that tropical storm conditions with maximum winds of 39 mph are expected within the next 24 hours -- remained in effect for an area from north of Little River Inlet, North Carolina, to the North Carolina-Virginia border.

As of 5 a.m. ET Sunday, Cristobal's center was located about 60 miles (95 km) southwest of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, and about 130 miles (210 km) southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It was moving northeast at near 6 mph (9 km/hr).

The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 45 mph (75 km/hr) with higher gusts. "Some strengthening" is expected within the next day, the National Hurricane Center said.

Meanwhile, Bertha was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday evening. The storm, centered about 670 miles (1080 km) east-northeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland, is moving quickly into the northern Atlantic, the NHC said Sunday morning.

Bertha, the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season, formed July 3 in the eastern Atlantic and dealt a glancing blow to Bermuda before heading north.

The storm set several records: It is the longest-lived tropical cyclone on record during the month of July, and the third-strongest July storm on record, behind Dennis and Emily, in the 2005 hurricane season.