forecaster at the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said yesterday.

Tropical storm Cindy was packing minimum tropical storm winds of 40 mph near the Bahamas and was not expected to strengthen.

In fact, the forecaster said, the storm was weakening.

Cindy is expected to weaken even further as she heads west, northwest toward the Dominican Republic. "If that model is correct, she poses not threat to Bermuda,'' the forecaster said.