Tropical Storm Kate loses speed
Tropical Storm Kate formed Monday in the central Atlantic Ocean from Tropical Depression Ten, though it’s expected to stay east of the U.S. mainland.
Kate, the 11th named storm of the 2021 season, was moving north at 10 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as of 5 p.m., according to the National Hurricane Center.
Kate formed on the heels of what turned out to be a short-lived Tropical Storm Julian. Julian formed Sunday morning over the central Atlantic Ocean, but it was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone about 24 hours later.
In addition to monitoring Kate and former Hurricane Ida, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center are watching two other areas for potential storm development.
A tropical depression is expected to form in the next couple of days from a tropical wave poised to move off the west coast of Africa, according to the hurricane center.
If it were to become a tropical storm, it would be Larry.
Meanwhile, an area of low pressure is expected to form in the southern Caribbean Sea later this week. As long as it remains over warm water, forecasters say, conditions are favorable for some development. It is forecast to move west-northwest or northwest at 10 to 15 mph over the western Caribbean
Sea near Central America’s east coast.
The forecast from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has predicted 7 to 10 hurricanes and a total of 15 to 21 named storms this Atlantic season, which means those with winds speeds of at least 39 mph. The number of expected major hurricanes, which means those with winds of at least 111 mph, is three to five.
As of Aug. 30, we’ve had 11 named storms and four hurricanes, two of which have been major hurricanes.
Hurricane Ida was a strong Category 4 when it made landfall Sunday near Port Fourchon, La., about 100 miles south of New Orleans. Hurricane Grace formed in the Caribbean in mid-August and hit Mexico at Category 3 strength.
After Larry, the next named storm to form would be Mindy.