Florence was downgraded

late Thursday night to a tropical storm after intensifying to a Category 4 hurricane.

Florence continued to weaken Thursday night and was downgraded to a tropical storm, according to an advisory late Thursday from the National Hurricane Center.

Located about 975 miles eastnortheast of the Northern Leeward Islands and about 1,035 miles eastsoutheast of Bermuda, Tropical Storm Florence packed 70 mph winds.

The system is moving to the northwest at 10 mph.

Florence — the first major storm of the Atlantic hurricane season — weakened significantly Thursday. It had reached Category 4 status Wednesday.

“Little change in strength is anticipated on Friday, followed by a slow increase in wind speed over the weekend,” the hurricane center said.

According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, winds must be at least 74 mph to be a Category 1 hurricane.

“Florence may begin to move faster toward the west-northwest over the western Atlantic early next week,’’ the hurricane center said.

Swells generated by the storm, which can cause rip currents, will reach portions of the U.S. East Coast by the weekend.

Also in the Atlantic, an area of low pressure is several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and is given an 80 percent chance of becoming at least a tropical depression in the next two days, the hurricane center said. That likelihood rises to 90 percent over the next five days.

Elsewhere, a tropical wave is expected to move off the west African coast today. It has a 90 percent chance of development over the next five days.

It’s still too early to say how any of the storms will impact Florida, the hurricane center said.