Katia Officially Becomes a Hurricane

PELHAM, N.Y. – Tropical Storm Katia has officially become a hurricane, according to a release from the National Weather Service. The hurricane has continued to move west but has not increased in strength.

Hurricane Katia is moving west-northwest at about 18 miles per hour and the National Weather Service expects a decrease in forward speed in the next few days. The maximum sustained winds are still at 75 mph.

Katia has become a category one hurricane and is expected to get stronger in the next 48 hours. The National Weather Service predicts that Katia could become a major hurricane this weekend.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but surf swells caused by Hurricane Katia could, according to the notice, cause "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" on the lesser Antilles. The hurricane is approximately 1,000 miles east of the Leeward Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Contact Pelham reporter Andrew Meola at ameola@thedailypelham.com.

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