Tropical Storm Katia forecast to become major hurricane
Images from NASA GOES satellite shows Katia at the right, just after daybreak on Tuesday.
August 30th, 2011
11:12 PM ET

Tropical Storm Katia forecast to become major hurricane

[Updated at 11:12 p.m. ET] Tropical Storm Katia was strengthening in the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday and could become a hurricane on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said.

In its 11 p.m. ET advisory, the hurricane center said Katia has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph - up from 45 mph 12 hours earlier. The storm was in the open Atlantic about 1,700 miles east-southeast of the Caribbean Sea's Leeward Islands.

Katia was moving west-northwest near 22 mph. That general motion was expected to continue for the next two days, though the forward speed could decrease, the hurricane center said.

Katia could grow into a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph by Saturday evening, perhaps more than 500 miles east of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico, the hurricane center said. It is too early to predict whether the storm will threaten land.

Category 3 hurricanes have maximum sustained winds of 111 to 130 mph.

Katia is the storm name that replaced Katrina in the revolving list of names, according to the center. The list of Atlantic hurricane names is repeated every seven years, and this year the list that was used in 2005 is being reused.

A storm name is retired if it is used for a hurricane that caused major damage, as Katrina did to the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005.

"The only time that there is a change is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for obvious reasons of sensitivity," the hurricane center said.

[Updated at 5:42 p.m. ET] Tropical Storm Katia was strengthening in the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday and could become a hurricane on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said.

In its 5 p.m. ET advisory, the hurricane center said Katia has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph - up from 45 mph six hours earlier. The storm was about 750 miles west of the southernmost of the Cape Verde Islands, which are hundreds of miles off the west coast of Africa.

Katia was moving west-northwest near 20 mph.

[Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET] In its 11 a.m. ET advisory, the hurricane center said Katia has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm was in the open Atlantic about 630 miles west-southwest of the southernmost of the Cape Verde Islands. It was moving west-northwest at 18 mph. That general motion was expected to continue for the next few days.

[Updated at 5:25 a.m. ET] Tropical Storm Katia barreled across the Atlantic Ocean early Tuesday and is expected to intensify and accelerate, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

As of 5 a.m. ET, Katia was about 535 miles (855 kilometers) west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and carried maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

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Filed under: Tropical weather • Weather
soundoff (528 Responses)
  1. trex

    These are HOAXes that come from the socialist Obama and his socialist weather department. All true teabaggers should set up tents ANYWHERE that they say this hoax storm will make landfall. By coming in the millions, we can PROVE the hoax of socialist Obama by staying on that beach until we prove the hoax. TEABAGGERS UNITE!!!! go to the beach when they say to evacuate, and PROVE OBAMA WRONG!!!!!!!!!!

    please please please

    August 30, 2011 at 9:50 pm | Report abuse |
  2. matt

    this is definitely the work of MANBEARPIG! Everybody, im being super, super serial

    August 30, 2011 at 9:54 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Hurricane Katia

    Hey I'm Katia and I am going to do the samething that my sisiter Irene did to the east coast.

    August 30, 2011 at 10:05 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Ed Sr

    I sincerely hope that this one does not take the same path and have the same strength as the last one.............the eastern part of the country could not handle another one....especially not Vermont.

    August 30, 2011 at 10:07 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Bosco56

    Comparing tracks, this one is following and predicted (for five days) on the same track as hurricane Hugo in 1989. I sincerely hope it doesn't continue as Hugo.

    August 30, 2011 at 10:20 pm | Report abuse |
    • clay

      zzzzz....they cant even predict the weather 24 hours from now, how do you expect them to predict the path of a hurricane 5-7 days from now?

      August 31, 2011 at 7:50 am | Report abuse |
  6. john

    Here comes Katia to finish off the job started by Irene!

    August 30, 2011 at 10:40 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Jason

    But yea....its going to head north in a day or two but lets panic people! AAAHH!!

    August 30, 2011 at 10:41 pm | Report abuse |
  8. rose /raritan nj

    please really need this like we need anthor hole in the head to much devestation as it is please stay out to sea

    August 30, 2011 at 10:44 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Evan

    I love you... You love me were a great big family witha....... Nvm

    August 30, 2011 at 10:49 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Joseph E. Brown

    This is only the beginning.
    Of course, you're on your own...billionaires must have tax breaks, after all 😉

    August 30, 2011 at 11:03 pm | Report abuse |
  11. J.R.

    Lets just keep stock of necessary supplies. So whenever there is a major storm we will be prepared! Storms are a part of life and with all the technological advancements, one would think there'd be stronger houses, protection against flooding and damaging winds, etc.!

    August 30, 2011 at 11:19 pm | Report abuse |
  12. s kel

    BOB hope u DIE real soon: -)

    August 30, 2011 at 11:19 pm | Report abuse |
  13. s kel

    Trex,RACIST PIG, DIE SOON.

    August 30, 2011 at 11:21 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Chaos

    Its a liberal conspiracy.

    August 30, 2011 at 11:29 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Truth

    Stop unjust wars on innocents and God would stop dropping huricanes on US. New wave of hurricanes is a sign that God is not happy with the unjust wars we have indulged into...

    August 30, 2011 at 11:32 pm | Report abuse |
    • clay

      you are a moron.

      August 31, 2011 at 7:46 am | Report abuse |
    • JBYJ

      How do you determine your personal beliefs are the way it's going to be? You a one sad animal!

      September 4, 2011 at 7:22 am | Report abuse |
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