Hurricane Bill downgraded to Category 1

Hurricane Bill is weakening at a rate that appears to be quicker than originally ex[ected. Earlier projections indicated that Bill could be a Category 2 storm until after he passed New England. Instead, Bill's winds have already dropped in speed to 85 MPH while Bill is essentially even with New York and Connecticut/Rhode Island.

Forecasters Downgrade Hurricane Bill to a Category 1 Storm (Fox News)

On Saturday evening, Bill had maximum sustained winds near 85 mph and was about 300 miles south-southeast of Nantucket, Mass., and about 585 miles south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A tropical storm warning was issued Saturday for Massachusetts, including the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, meaning tropical storm-force winds of 40 mph or more could hit the coastline in the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Bill Weakens, Heads to Canadian Maritimes (Bloomberg)

The storm had sustained winds of 85 miles (140 kilometers) per hour, making it a Category 1 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. It was about 255 miles south-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and moving north at about 24 miles per hour, the center said today in its 8 p.m. advisory. The storm is about 550 miles south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Hurricane Bill, which was a Category 4 storm at midweek, was lowered to the Category 1 status today and is expected to keep losing strength as it passes by Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and Newfoundland tomorrow, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert said in an interview.

“We now believe it is not going to strengthen anymore,” said Peter Bowyer at the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, on a conference call today with reporters. “It should hold its strength for the next 10 to 12 hours and then start to weaken as it moves through our district.”