September 1st, 2011
04:47 PM ET

Katia downgraded to tropical storm

Katia weakened to a tropical storm in the open Atlantic Ocean on Thursday afternoon, but it could become a hurricane again in the next 12 hours, the National Hurricane Center said. Swells generated by the storm could affect the Lesser Antilles by late Friday.

The maximum sustained winds of Katia, whose center was 930 miles east of the Caribbean's northern Leeward Islands, had decreased to 70 mph shortly before 5 p.m. ET, the hurricane center said. The wind-speed threshold for a Category 1 hurricane is 74 mph.

"Some restrengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours," the hurricane center said in its 5 p.m. advisory.

Katia became a hurricane Wednesday night, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.

According to the center's five-day track forecast, the storm could reach hurricane strength again by Friday morning, and could become a major hurricane - with sustained winds at 115 mph - north of the Caribbean Sea next week.

According to the five-day forecast, the storm's center would go north of the Caribbean islands. It's too early to predict whether the storm's center will affect the United States or Bermuda. But the center's advisory said swells generated by Katia "will begin affecting the Lesser Antilles by late Friday."

"These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the advisory said.

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Filed under: Tropical weather • Weather
soundoff (57 Responses)
  1. s kel

    Yvonne try making that heartless stupid statment to the people affected by irene, who lost love one, jobs, homes.

    September 1, 2011 at 8:35 pm | Report abuse |
  2. mom

    My child is attending college in Vermont. It has been extremely stressful. Southern Vermont was devastated by Irene.

    September 1, 2011 at 9:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • Ernie farter

      Mom....why is it streSsful? If she is ok then your worry is done...... Unless you liketo worry about everything.

      September 1, 2011 at 10:47 pm | Report abuse |
  3. kpsmitty

    Laugh now but this one could kick some serious butt by the time it is done, It's still more tan a week away from the east coast and will get stronger, a lot stronger. Wilmington look out.

    September 1, 2011 at 11:06 pm | Report abuse |
  4. adam

    http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

    September 1, 2011 at 11:18 pm | Report abuse |
  5. bkturner

    tuffyturf....seems like judgement being passed...not your job...and doesn't your words put you in the same boat? Isn't life worth saving? I would most certainly attempt to save yours regardless of your words today...and s would many of those New Yorkers...respect life my friend, don't embrace death.

    September 2, 2011 at 1:48 am | Report abuse |
  6. BoredSecurityOfficer

    I dont want to sound like a heartless person, but why do people live in "Hurricane Zones" or whatever you want to call them, and then complain about hurricanes?? I mean, thats like living at the base of an active volcano and then wondering what then complaining about losing your house when the volcano erupts. I don't understand. I mean I own a house with my family in Minnesota. Now I know that there are Tornadoes and Blizzards where I live, and I fully understand the fact that one day, I could lose my house to one of these natural disaters. But, thank God, it has yet to happen. In the unfourtnate event that this does happen, well I realize this is a possibility and would not look for sympathy.....I don;t know, but I'm just sayin...

    September 2, 2011 at 2:45 am | Report abuse |
    • leeintulsa

      @boredsecurityofficer: Who's complaining? I've heard bracing and preparing, not complaining. And rebuilding.

      And i'm sure you wouldn't care if no one cared that your house got wiped out. I don't think anyone is 'looking' for sympathy. More likely looking for that thing their mother made before she died, that's worth nothing to anyone else..

      Just sayin..

      September 2, 2011 at 7:28 am | Report abuse |
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