Washington, Aug 17 (DPA) Hurricane Bill in the Atlantic Ocean was continuing to strengthen into a category one storm and could develop into a major hurricane by Wednesday, weather forecasters said Monday.

The National Hurricane Centre in Miami said the storm had winds of 150 km per hour and was slowly moving westward.

Bill was located about 1,735 km east of the Lesser Antilles at 1500 GMT, and was following behind Tropical Depression Ana, which was causing heavy rains on Puerto Rico.

Ana, with 55 km winds, was forecast to bring five to 10 centimetres of rain to Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic. The storm was expected to weaken Monday.

A third storm, Claudette, had also weakened to a tropical depression and was bringing seven to 25 cm of rain and winds of about 55 km per hour to the southern US state of Alabama.

Heavy rain also fell across western Florida, and the storm was expected to move into the state of Mississippi later Monday.