Tropical storm Danny was barreling towards the Bahamas, lying about 445 miles (715 kilometers) east of the capital, Nassau, and about 775 miles (1,250 kilometers) off the US coast at North Carolina.

Packing winds of up to 45 miles (75 kilometers) an hour, the hurricane center forecast Danny might slowly pick up strength in the coming days, and move towards the northwest and the US coast on Friday.

The storm is likely to bring rainfall of two to four inches (five to 10 centimeters) over the central and western Bahamas, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands.

"Interests in the Bahamas and the southeastern United States should monitor the progress of Danny," the Miami-based center said in its morning advisory.

The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on November 30.

Hurricane Bill, the first of the storm season, was Monday downgraded to a mere storm as it swept over Canada.

So far 2009 has seen one of the calmest starts to the hurricane season in a decade, which researchers have attributed to the development of an El Nino effect in the Pacific.