Tropical Storm Colin's projected path remained well clear of the Gulf of Mexico where BP engineers were hoping to permanently plug the biggest oil spill in history.

Colin was the third tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June to November, the National Hurricane Center said.

At 1500 GMT, the storm was centered 1,355 kilometers (842 miles) east of the Lesser Antilles, moving west the with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour, it said.

Colin was "moving rapidly toward the west with little change in strength," the center said, projecting a track that turns northward toward the US mainland by the weekend.

"Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours," the center said..

"Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 kilometers) from the center.

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