Tropical Storm Kate to Stir Surf From Southeast US to Bermuda

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

November 10,2015; 10:35PM,EST

 

 

Tropical Storm Kate will bring strong winds and rough seas in the area from the southern Atlantic coast of the United States to Bermuda into Wednesday.
According to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski, "Kate could become a hurricane during the middle days of this week."

Rough surf and strong rip currents will be a concern for bathers along the southern Atlantic coast, even though Kate will take a northeasterly path and not approach.
Rough seas could pose a problem for shipping and cruise interests between the U.S., Bermuda and the Bahamas through through Thursday.
This loop shows Kate moving northeast of the Bahamas. (Satellite/NOAA)
Gusty showers and thunderstorms combined with rough seas will increase around Bermuda into Wednesday. Gusts between 50 and 100 kph (30 and 60 mph) can occur.
"At closest approach, Kate is likely to pass about 240 miles north of Bermuda on Wednesday," Kottlowski said.
Kate will be over warm waters into Thursday and could become the Atlantic's fourth hurricane of the season, prior to becoming absorbed by a non-tropical system moving off the U.S. and Canada coast.
Kate will pass hundreds of miles to the south and east of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, where seas will build on Thursday.
As the complex storm accelerates over progressively cooler waters of the North Atlantic later in the week, the system will begin to transform into a tropical rainstorm.
"Kate could bring strong gusty winds and heavy rain to the United Kingdom and Ireland later this weekend into early next week," Kottlowski said.
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AccuWeather Hurricane Center
AccuWeather Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast
Bermuda Weather Center
An area of disturbed weather moved northward from the Caribbean Sea late last week and organized into a tropical depression on Sunday.
Tropical Depression 12 became Tropical Storm Kate Monday morning near the Bahamas.
Kate brought rain squalls and gusty winds to the eastern islands of the Bahamas on Monday, before speeding away to the north.
Tropical Depression 12/Kate became the first tropical system in the Atlantic since Joaquin pounded the Bahamas about a month ago.
Kate could prove to be the last gasp for the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on Nov. 30.
"Besides Kate, we see no support for other tropical development across the Atlantic Basin through the middle of November," Kottlowski added.
Strengthening westerly winds and cooling waters bring the demise of tropical systems as the month progresses.
Following this threat, the basin may be finished churning up tropical storms and hurricanes, aside from perhaps a poorly organized drenching system in the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico.
Including Tropical Storm Kate, there have been 11 tropical storms and three hurricanes, two of which became major hurricanes during the 2015 season. All numbers were all below the average of 12 tropical storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
Joaquin, which blasted the Bahamas and sent tropical moisture into the Southeastern states, stopped just short of being a Category 5 hurricane. Tropical storms Ana and Bill were the only two systems to make landfall in the U.S.

Content contributed by AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.