Tropical Storm Katia Forms In The Atlantic
By Steve Strouss
Less than two days after Hurricane Irene flooded many parts of the Eastern U.S. we are now watching a new tropical storm that has developed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Katia, the 11th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane season, is gaining strength and she spins over warm open waters near the Cape Verde islands (an island group off the coast of Africa).
As of 11 a.m., Tropical Storm Katia had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was tracking west-northwest at 18mph. Katia could become a hurricane as early as Wednesday night, but is around a week away from posing any threat to land.
The current track takes the storm north of the Lesser Antilles as a major hurricane late this weekend.
For now, you don't have to worry about Katia but the CBS3 Weather Team will keep a close eye on her and let you know if and when she ever becomes a concern.
Since 1953, the World Meteorological Organization has been naming tropical systems to help identify tropical storms and hurricanes in warning messages. Every 6 years, the storm names are used again in rotation unless a storm is so catastrophic that its name is retired. Katia's name replaces infamous Hurricane Katrina from 2005.
