Tropical storm Gordon weakens into depression, Florence is 1st major hurricane of Atlantic season

Gordon has weakened into a tropical depression over central Mississippi with continued threats of heavy rains and flooding, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Wednesday. The depression is located about 25 miles (40km) south-southeast of Jackson, Mississippi with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (55 km/h), it said. Gordon is expected to weaken as it moves further inland, Reuters reports, citing a Miami-based weather forecaster’s statement. The NHC also said that Florence has strengthened into the first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. The category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale is located about 1,405 miles (2,265km) east-southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour (195 kph).