Tropical storm Katia strengthens

August 30th, 2011 - 11:52 pm ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt  

Miami, Aug 30 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The National Hurricane Center in Miami has warned that Tropical Storm Katia is strengthening. The NHC predicts that the storm may develop into a hurricane at a point. The storm is currently in mid-Atlantic and it is expected to keep moving west-northwest.

The next two days is vital because scientists say the storm could grow into a hurricane at that time. On Tuesday, the storm hit a top speed of 40 mph. NHC says the storm could become a Category 3 hurricane if the wind conditions stay the same.

In a statement issued by the center on Tuesday, the NHC warned that, “Continued gradual strengthening is forecast and Katia is expected to become a hurricane by late Wednesday or early Thursday.”

A meteorologist at Weather 2000 Inc, Tom Downs, says it is too early to start making speculations on where the storm will be moving. He stated that, “Katia is way, way, way out there. It is premature to discuss where it is going, but things suggest it will recurve. Five days from now we will have a better idea.”

The storm is the 11th named storm in the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The season is not over but the current figure represents the average on a typical season. Last year, there were 19 named storms and scientists expect this year’s number to go beyond that number.

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