Tropical Storm Gabrielle strengthened into a hurricane Sunday afternoon southeast of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Gabrielle's maximum sustained winds increased to 75 mph (120 kph), up 10 mph (16 kph) from hours earlier to become a Category 1 hurricane. The storm was centered some 320 miles (515 kilometers) southeast of Bermuda and moving to the north-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).

The hurricane center said in an afternoon advisory that Gabrielle could become a major hurricane in the early part of this week as it is expected to undergo steady to rapid intensification over the next day or so.

On the current forecast track, Gabrielle was expected to pass east of Bermuda on Monday.

A hurricane hunter aircraft found the storm

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