Miami ? Hurricane Helene was downgraded to a Category 1 storm Thursday as it churned in the open Atlantic well east of Bermuda, forecasters said.

At 10 p.m. CDT, Helene was centered about 500 miles east of Bermuda and was moving toward the north-northeast near 14 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Maximum sustained winds were near 85 mph, up from 80 mph earlier in the day.

Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 40 miles.