A tropical storm formed Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean near the northern Bahamas.

Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center say Tropical Storm Bret is expected to drench the northernmost islands before curving out into the open Atlantic Ocean.

The storm's maximum sustained winds were nearly 65 kilometers per hour.

The government of the Bahamas issued a tropical storm watch for Grand Bahama Island and the Abaco Islands.

Bret was not expected to strengthen into a hurricane or approach the United States.