High winds downed power lines and rain flooded parts of the southern coast, forcing shut parts of the aqueduct, which supplies water across the island.

This, along with rubble on the roads, has cut off 41 communities, the Dominican National Emergency Operations Center said on Thursday.

It was not immediately apparent when running water and power would be returned. No victims have yet been reported, authorities said.

The capital Santo Domingo and five other provinces of the southern coast remained on high alert given forecasts of heavy rain for another day in the wake of Fred, the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Cuba's meteorology institute said on Thursday afternoon the depression was advancing in a northwest direction just off the island's northeast coast with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometres.

More rain and storm surges are forecast for the eastern and central regions of Cuba, it said.

Cuba and the eastern Bahamas could expect up to almost eight centimetres of rain, the National Hurricane Center (NHC)in Miami said.

Fred was expected to move along or just north of eastern and central Cuba on Thursday night and Friday, regaining tropical storm strength as it neared the Florida Keys and southern Florida on Saturday, the NHC said.

There, it would dump up to 20cm of rain in some areas.

Fred is the first named storm in a month in the Atlantic. In early July, Hurricane Elsa killed at least three people and damaged infrastructure and agriculture in Caribbean island nations east of Cuba.

Australian Associated Press