was headed west towards the Caribbean with winds of up to 50 mph.

US Navy forecasters said the storm was not a threat to Bermuda at present. Its closest approach to the Island would be tomorrow afternoon, when it would still be 1,300 miles away.

Bret was last night nearing the southern Windward Islands, and a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch was in effect from St. Lucia southward through Trinidad.

A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of Venezuela and a tropical storm watch was in effect for Martinique, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.