Cristobal strengthens into hurricane in Atlantic

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Cristobal has strengthened into a hurricane in the Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday that the storm had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph as it moved north away from the Bahamas.

At 8:20 p.m., Cristobal was 660 miles southwest of Bermuda. It's maximum sustained winds were estimated at 75 mph as the system creeps to the north-northeast away from the Bahamas at 2 mph, CBS Miami reported.

The government of the Bahamas discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning it had posted for the Central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador.

Before strengthening into a hurricane, the storm flooded several communities across the Caribbean and halted flights in the drenched Turks & Caicos Islands.

Hurricane Cristobal is expected to continue on a north-northeast track through Tuesday with a slight increase in its forward speed