By Alex Harris, Miami Herald (TNS)

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Gabrielle held onto its strength overnight and remains on track to become the season’s second hurricane this weekend.

The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center has the storm steering well clear of the Caribbean and Florida — and potentially even coming in to the east of Bermuda, sparing the island nation the full brunt of hurricane-force winds and rain.

While the storm is broad, it will be so far away from Florida that the state will feel no impacts from Gabrielle.

As of 5 a.m. Friday, Gabrielle maintained 50 mph sustained winds. By Sunday, the hurricane center predicts it will become Hurricane Gabrielle and eventually strengthen to 105 mph sustained winds early next week.

The tropical wave behind Gabrielle

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