The National Weather Service says Tropical Storm Ophelia continues to weaken and could become a tropical depression during the weekend.

Its maximum sustained winds have decreased to 45 mph, with higher gusts.Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 260 miles mostly to the north of the center.

This morning the center of Tropical Storm Ophelia was located near latitude 14.5 north and longitude 51.0 west. Ophelia is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph and a motion between west-northwest and northwest is expected for the next couple of days.

The National Weather Service is tracking a new wave just off the coast of Africa that is a broad low-pressure system and is producing widespread cloudiness and scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Officials say upper-level winds are conducive for some slow development of this disturbance during the next few days as it moves west at 10 to 15 mph. This system has been given a 10 percent chance to become a tropical cyclone within 48 hours.