Storm Cristobal dumps rain on Carolina coast

By Jim Brumm

WILMINGTON, North Carolina (Reuters) - Tropical storm Cristobal weakened slightly off the Carolinas on Sunday but still brought gale-force winds and dumped heavy rain on the North Carolina coast.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect in the northern part of the state from Cape Lookout to the Virginia state line including Pamlico Sound, but was discontinued further south, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT).

The storm brought 5 inches of rain to some parts of the North Carolina coast around Cape Fear and one inch to other parts before it headed northeast. The weather remained changeable with periods of sunshine, local weather reports said.

The storm, which was heading northeast at 7 miles per hour (11 kph), is the third of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. Its winds hit near 50 mph (80 kph) before decreasing slightly, the center said. The storm was projected to run parallel to the coast on Sunday and then to veer away on Monday.

Mexico on Sunday declared a tropical storm warning over Dolly, the season's fourth such storm, located in the western Caribbean Sea.

Meanwhile, tropical storm Bertha, on its way to becoming the longest-lived Atlantic storm on record, was losing strength around 670 miles east-northeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

(Writing by Matthew Bigg, editing by Vicki Allen)

(matt.bigg@reuters.com; Atlanta bureau: 404 720-2891; Reuters Messaging: matt.bigg.reuters.com@reuters.net))