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The year’s first tropical storm — Arthur — took a glancing blow at the Outer Banks and some interior counties as it moved northward on Monday.

Heavy rain and breezy conditions prevailed in Tyrrell County during the early daylight hours, with heaviest rainfall registered between eight and nine o’clock.

The worst of the weather was forecast to stay just offshore.

Winds gusts to 33 miles per hour were reported at the Alligator River bridge at mid-morning Monday.

A tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that has maximum sustained surface winds ranging from 39-73 mph.

Minor inundation from storm surge of up to 2 feet above ground level is possible for low-lying areas adjacent to the ocean and sounds, the National Weather Service predicted.

Arthur became a tropical storm 15 days ahead of the start of the hurricane season. Forecasters at N.C. State University are calling for an active 2020 hurricane season in the Atlantic.