August 30th
Hurricane Frances weakened slightly today, but forecasters warned it could pick up strength as it moved near the northern Caribbean islands with 120 miles per hour winds.

Stephen Baig, an oceanographer at the U-S National Hurricane Center in Miami, says current forecasts put the storm anywhere from Cuba to the Carolinas by the end of the week.

Frances is centered about 300 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands and was moving west at about 13 miles an hour. Steady winds were down from 125 miles an hour yesterday, but some strengthening was expected.

Frances is the third major hurricane of the Atlantic season, following Alex and Charley.

Frances was centered at 19.3 north latitude, 58.7 west longitude.