Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: It reached peak intensity as a strong tropical storm on July 21 while it passed east of Cape Hatteras , and remained such over the warm Gulf Stream waters as convection became strong over the southern portion of the circulation .
Simplified: It reached its highest intensity as a strong tropical storm on July 21 while it passed east of Cape Hatteras , and stayed the same over the warm Gulf Stream .