The National Hurricane Center is now tracking three tropical storms – one of which forecasters say could be a long-term concern for the East Coast.
Tropical Storm Karen regained tropical storm strength overnight, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph while tracking north toward Puerto Rico.
WEATHER: Storm track, hourly outlooks, 7-day forecasts and weather alerts
This, while Tropical Storm Jerry continues to track toward Bermuda and Lorenzo looms as a potentially major hurricane far out in the Atlantic but not expected to threaten land, forecasters said.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as Karen could strengthen and produce up to 8 inches of rain, causing potential flash flooding and mudslides.
The long-term track, however, remains in flux.
ALERTS: Download the Florida Storms app to get severe weather notifications
The latest forecast from the hurricane center calls for a north-northeasterly track heading into the weekend, then potentially meandering and shifting to the west.
“It’s mostly Karen we’ll need to watch,” said Jeff Huffman, a meteorologist with the Florida Public Radio Emergency network. “But believe it or not, both Jerry and Lorenzo might play a role in where Karen eventually tracks or how strong the storm could become. Needless to say, the situation is about as complex as it could get out there, at least with the data we have now.”
Karen’s eventual track may not be known until at least the end of the week, Huffman said.
Information from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network and Associated Press was used in this report.
