Katia regains hurricane strength in the Atlantic

Swells generated by Hurricane Katia will begin to affect the Lesser Antilles later today.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Friday September 2, 2011 - According to the 11 a.m. NHC report "Katia has regained hurricane status and is mvoing toward the west-northwest near 14MPH."

Hurricane Katia is located near latitude 17.5 north longitude 52.4 west or 705 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.

According to the latest advisory "maximum sustained winds are near 75 MPH with higher gusts."

"Swells generated by Katia will begin affecting the Lesser Antilles by late today" the latest NHC report advised.

The 11 a.m. NHC advisory indicated "hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the centre and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 155 miles".

Estmated minimal central pressure is 991 MB.

It has been predicted that Katia will be a Category 3 hurricane – with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour – northeast of the northern Leeward Islands by Sunday, but the NHC said its path is not certain.

The 2011 hurricane season has been forecasted to have a well above average probability of United States and Caribbean major hurricane landfall according to Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray of the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University. The season is expected to see about 9 hurricanes, 17 named storms and 5 major hurricanes. Track Katia in the Storm Centre.

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