Bret, packing near-hurricane-force sustained winds of 70 mph, was centered in the Atlantic about 200 miles east of Barbados as of 5 a.m. ET Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.

At roughly that same strength, Bret is expected to move Thursday night across parts of the eastern Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles island group, which includes Dominica, St. Lucia and Barbados, and the French overseas region of Martinique, the hurricane center said.

Tropical storm conditions – winds of at least 39 mph – are expected to begin in parts of the area by Thursday afternoon, the center said.

After passing the Lesser Antilles, Bret is expected to weaken and press west into the eastern and central Caribbean Sea, the hurricane center said.

“Weakening is anticipated to begin Thursday night or Friday after Bret passes the Lesser Antilles, and the system is likely to dissipate over the central Caribbean Sea by Saturday,” the center said Wednesday night.

pll/omr/rgh/lpn