Tropical storm Bret strengthens, turns east

(CNN) -- Tropical storm Bret continued to strengthen and came closer to the Bahamas Monday morning, but the forecast called for the storm to begin moving out to sea later in the day.

As of 8 a.m., Bret -- the second tropical storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season -- was located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Great Abaco Island, according to the National Weather Service. The storm had been about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the island Sunday night.

The storm is currently drifting to the northeast and is expected to pick up some speed and strength as it moves away from land, according to forecasters.

Grand Bahama Island and the Abaco Islands in the northwest Bahamas nevertheless remained under a tropical storm warning Monday, the forecasters expecting the most intense winds and rainfall Monday morning. Bret could dump two to four inches of rain in the northwest Bahamas.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) by Monday morning with higher gusts, the National Weather Service said.

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