MIAMI -

Gordon was expected to move of the eastern Azores on Monday as a hurricane, said the National Hurricane Center.

In the NHC's 11 p.m. advisory Sunday, Gordon was about 45 miles west-southwest of Santa Maria Island in the Azores with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. It was moving east-northeast at 20 mph.

The government of Portugal has issued a hurricane warning for the eastern Azores.

Forecasters said Gordon will continue moving east-northeast over the next day or so with a decrease in forward speed. Additional weakening is forecast in the next 48 hours.