Tropical Storm Chris was squatting on July 9 about 200 miles (320 kilometres) off the coast of the Carolinas, where forecasters expect it will gain hurricane strength before moving up Gulfstream waters on a path that could cause life-threatening surf on East Coast beaches this week.

Meanwhile, the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl dissipated after rushing over Dominica, but forecasters said strong gusty winds and locally heavy rains could reach Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Haiti and the Dominican Republic Monday night, possibly causing flooding or mudslides.

Chris had top winds of 60 mph (95 kph) at 5 a.m. July 19, and was expected to remain nearly stationary through Tuesday before moving northeastward as a hurricane. It was far enough out to sea that no coastal watches or warnings were in effect, even for the closest point of land, Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

The storm’s remnants crossed directly over the island with top sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), and was expected to drop up to 3 inches (8 centimetres) of rain, with as much as 5 inches (13 centimetres) in isolated spots.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit urged people to stay inside and observe a curfew.