Hurricane Leslie, which became a named storm on Sept. 23, was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday. It was located about 85 miles south-southwest of Porto, Portugal and about 125 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal, the National Hurricane Center said. Image courtesy NOAA

Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Hurricane Leslie was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday, expecting to bring dangerous winds, surf and heavy rainfall to portions of Portugal and Spain, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm was about 85 miles south-southwest of Porto, Portugal and about 125 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal, the NHC said in a 5 p.m. advisory Saturday.


Winds from Leslie, which strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane earlier this week, weakened slightly below the threshold for a Category 1 storm Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.

The tropical storm is moving northeast at 35 mph, the NHC said.

Post-tropical Leslie will bring winds to near hurricane-force to portions of Portugal Saturday night, and gale-force winds to portions of western and northern Spain later Saturday through early Sunday.

The storm could produce flash flooding in portions of Portugal and Spain and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Leslie first became a sub-tropical storm nearly three weeks ago on Sept. 23.