Tropical Storm Gabrielle was struggling to keep its strength up early Thursday and will continue to encounter challenging atmospheric conditions in the central Atlantic. But early next week, the storm is forecast to pick up speed and be at hurricane strength southeast of Bermuda.

The National Hurricane Center said Gabrielle’s maximum sustained winds were 50 mph on Thursday morning and holding steady or possibly even decreasing, despite being a large storm.

“However, the models suggest that the storm could move into more conducive conditions late in the weekend and early next week, which should cause Gabrielle to become more symmetric and strengthen,” the Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. Thursday advisory.

Even if the storm does strengthen, long-range forecasting models show the trac

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