New depression forms as Katia causes rip current

(CNS): The fourteenth tropical depression of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season formed some 1650 miles east of the Lesser Antilles on Tuesday afternoon, as Hurricane Katia continued to rumble north through the Atlantic causing a rip current along the east coast of the United States.  At 4pm local time TD14 was moving west-northwest at 18mph with sustained winds of 35mph. The National Hurricane Centres said this motion was expected to continue over the next few days as the cyclone strengthened into a tropical storm tonight or Wednesday. Although the weather system may head towards the region at present it poses no threat to land.

Meanwhile, Katia continued rolling on having once reached major category four hurricane status at 4pm local time the hurricane was a category two. However, the system was still posing a severe rip current risk on the east coast of the US, the NHC stated.

Located about 345 miles south-south-west of Bermuda Katia was still packing winds of 105 mph and was moving toward the northwest at close to 10 mph with storm forces winds stretching out over 200 miles from the centre. The NHC said the core of Katia would move between the east coast of the US and Bermuda. With little change expected today and Wednesday the forecasters said Katia would begin to weaken Thursday.

Large swells generated by Katia will continue to affect most of the east coast of the United States, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and east-facing beaches of the Bahamas during the next few days.