Earl Weakens To A Category 1

MIAMI — Hurricane Earl has weakened to a Category 1 storm as it heads for the Northeast, and some watches and warnings have been reduced or dropped from Long Island to Maine.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Friday that a hurricane warning for the southeast coast of Massachusetts was reduced in size. But the warning remains in effect for areas including Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Earl’s center was moving away from North Carolina on a north-northeast track and was expected to approach southeastern New England on Friday night.

Top sustained winds have decreased to near 85 mph (140 kph). It’s center is about 350 miles (565 kilometers) south-southwest Nantucket.