RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tropical Storm Cristobal dumped rain and brought rough seas to the North Carolina coast Sunday, and forecasters predicted the weakening system was headed for the open Atlantic.

At 2 p.m. EDT Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said maximum sustained winds had dropped to 45 mph from a high of about 50 mph. A tropical storm warning was posted from north of Surf City to the Virginia-North Carolina border.

The center of Cristobal was about 25 miles east of Cape Lookout along the central North Carolina coast, moving northeast at about 7 mph.

The storm’s strongest winds were east of the center, out at sea, National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Bandy said. Winds on the coastal side of the storm were about 25 mph and will have little impact on coastal cities unless the storm strengthens.