Tropical Storm Karl forms, Igor churns up waters

MIAMI, United States, Wednesday September 15, 2010 – Tropical Storm Karl is the newest system the region now has to keep an eye on, forming over the northwestern Caribbean Sea yesterday evening and prompting a watch to be put in place for parts of Belize.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Igor, the most powerful hurricane since the start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, is already churning up waters in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Julia, though, is still out in the Atlantic.

This morning, Tropical Storm Karl was about 10 miles northeast of Chetumal, Mexico and 175 miles east of Campeche, Mexico. It is carrying 60-mile-per-hour maximum sustained winds.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the coast of northern Belize from Belize City to the Mexico/Belize border.

Karl is expected to produce total rainfall of up to five inches, with isolated amounts of eight inches.

Category Four Hurricane Igor, with maximum sustained winds of 135 miles per hour, is about 540 miles east north east of the Leeward Islands and large swells generated by the system are expected to affect those islands. Those swells will reach Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands today and tomorrow, the National Hurricane Centre said. Swells are expected to reach portions of the Bahamas tonight and continue through the weekend.

Hurricane Julia, which is also packing maximum sustained winds of 135 miles per hour, is about 595 miles west north west of the Cape Verde Islands.

Experts forecast Julia to move generally to the west-northwest to northwest over the next five days. This will keep Julia over the open Atlantic and away from any land areas.

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