National Hurricane Center

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Tropical Storm Katia became a hurricane Wednesday night in the Atlantic Ocean, but forecasters said it was too soon to determine where it might head. The National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned the public - still recovering along parts of the East Coast from Irene - not to stress over the storm. It's too soon to tell if it will ever come near land. "It's got a lot of ocean to go. There's no way at this point to say if it will make any impacts, let alone when it might make them," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman at the National Hurricane Center.

The third tropical depression of the 1995 season was about 250 miles north of Puerto Rico yesterday and may intensify into Tropical Storm Chantal over the weekend. If the depression continues on its present west-northwest track at 13 miles an hour, it could hit somewhere on the southeast coast of the United States early next week, said meteorologist Miles Lawrence at the National Hurricane Center near Miami. "There are a lot of 'maybes' with this one," Lawrence said. "People should pay attention to it over the weekend.

The Atlantic is brewing up another major hurricane likely take a northward track. Tropical Storm Katia could turn into a hurricane today, and a major hurricane - a Category 3 with winds of more than 110 miles per hour - by Sunday morning. But relax. At least through Labor Day. So far, there's little reason to fear that Katia could be another Hurricane Irene, which killed more than 40 people, knocked out power to more than 2 million, and dumped record-busting rains that has caused widespread flooding for days throughout the Northeast.

The blast furnace of summer continues, with yet another heat wave, another ozone alert, and more hurricane-related worries at the Shore. Hurricane Earl, pounding parts of the Caribbean today, is expected to sweep past the Mid-Atlantic Coast starting Friday, with a chance of running into land anywhere from the Carolinas to New England. For the next four days, the Philadelphia area is expected to see highs in the mid 90s, followed by 90 on Friday - with no rain in sight. Such a stretch would bring the number of days of 90 or hotter at 51 - just two short of the record 53 set in 1991.

It was the devastating storm that wasn't. By the time Hurricane Charley wound up the coast to the Philadelphia area late Saturday, it was a shadow of the storm that had killed more than a dozen people and destroyed countless homes in Florida. Downgraded to a tropical storm, Charley sprinkled the area with rain - as much as 2 inches in parts of South Jersey - and continued on its merry way. By the time Charley reached New England late yesterday morning, the National Hurricane Center said the storm had dissipated and all warnings were discontinued.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Officials with the National Hurricane Center had a message Tuesday for residents living in hurricane-prone areas: Don't tape your windows. Center officials are joining with a consumer-advocate group at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, Fla., this week to encourage residents to skip taping their windows when a hurricane is heading their way. They believe it leads to a false sense of security and actually increases danger. Instead, residents should use proven methods such as hurricane shutters or impact-resistant windows, Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, told hundreds of meteorologists and emergency-management officials at the weeklong conference.

The United States could be hit with a major hurricane disaster - potentially causing more than $80 billion in damages - because of increased development on the coasts, warned Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center. Mayfield - who has watched the development of Florida's coasts during his 30 years at the hurricane center in Miami - said yesterday that local officials will continue encourage development because it enlarges the tax base. But they aren't building enough accompanying roads to evacuate the influx of residents who would need to flee a storm surge, he said.

Jose fizzled out Monday after becoming a tropical storm. Now comes Katia, heading toward the Caribbean from halfway between Africa and South America. It's estimated to become a hurricane by late Wednesday or early Thursday and a major Category 3 storm by Sunday morning, when it's projected to be east-northeast of Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center. Computer models suggest it could continue on a northerly path toward the East Coast, but stop predicting a thousand miles from the Carolinas.

Tammy, Vince and Whitney are the only names left. Subtropical Storm Sean formed overnight between the Bahamas and Bermuda, moving the 2011 hurricane season into a tie with 1969 as the sixth most active on record, with 18 named storms. And the season officially continues through the end of November. By early afternoon, Sean had transformed into a volatile tropical storm, but still was considered unlikely to add the year's total of six hurricanes, three of which were major.

The last tropical storm to form in the Atlantic was Philippe on Sept. 24 - more than three weeks ago. But it's too soon to say no more threat till next year, according to the National Hurricane Center. "It is way to early to declare the hurricane season as being over," said meteorologist and spokesman Dennis Feltgen. "We still have about six weeks left, as the season ends on Nov. 30. " The next tropical storm could already be forming in the south-central Gulf of Mexico, between the Yucatan Peninsula and Florida.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Officials with the National Hurricane Center had a message Tuesday for residents living in hurricane-prone areas: Don't tape your windows. Center officials are joining with a consumer-advocate group at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, Fla., this week to encourage residents to skip taping their windows when a hurricane is heading their way. They believe it leads to a false sense of security and actually increases danger. Instead, residents should use proven methods such as hurricane shutters or impact-resistant windows, Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, told hundreds of meteorologists and emergency-management officials at the weeklong conference.

Tammy, Vince and Whitney are the only names left. Subtropical Storm Sean formed overnight between the Bahamas and Bermuda, moving the 2011 hurricane season into a tie with 1969 as the sixth most active on record, with 18 named storms. And the season officially continues through the end of November. By early afternoon, Sean had transformed into a volatile tropical storm, but still was considered unlikely to add the year's total of six hurricanes, three of which were major.

The season's 17th tropical storm, Rina, formed off Honduras on Sunday, and today quickly became a hurricane, with sustained winds of 75 m.p.h. Rina is expected intensify by Wednesday into a major hurricane with winds of at least 111 m.p.h. but diminish in force somewhat as it nears Cancun, Mexico, by Friday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. The resort city is at the northeastern tip of southern Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, which juts into the Gulf of Mexico. The last tropical storm, Philippe, developed Sept.

The last tropical storm to form in the Atlantic was Philippe on Sept. 24 - more than three weeks ago. But it's too soon to say no more threat till next year, according to the National Hurricane Center. "It is way to early to declare the hurricane season as being over," said meteorologist and spokesman Dennis Feltgen. "We still have about six weeks left, as the season ends on Nov. 30. " The next tropical storm could already be forming in the south-central Gulf of Mexico, between the Yucatan Peninsula and Florida.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Tropical Storm Katia became a hurricane Wednesday night in the Atlantic Ocean, but forecasters said it was too soon to determine where it might head. The National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned the public - still recovering along parts of the East Coast from Irene - not to stress over the storm. It's too soon to tell if it will ever come near land. "It's got a lot of ocean to go. There's no way at this point to say if it will make any impacts, let alone when it might make them," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman at the National Hurricane Center.

The Atlantic is brewing up another major hurricane likely take a northward track. Tropical Storm Katia could turn into a hurricane today, and a major hurricane - a Category 3 with winds of more than 110 miles per hour - by Sunday morning. But relax. At least through Labor Day. So far, there's little reason to fear that Katia could be another Hurricane Irene, which killed more than 40 people, knocked out power to more than 2 million, and dumped record-busting rains that has caused widespread flooding for days throughout the Northeast.

Jose fizzled out Monday after becoming a tropical storm. Now comes Katia, heading toward the Caribbean from halfway between Africa and South America. It's estimated to become a hurricane by late Wednesday or early Thursday and a major Category 3 storm by Sunday morning, when it's projected to be east-northeast of Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center. Computer models suggest it could continue on a northerly path toward the East Coast, but stop predicting a thousand miles from the Carolinas.

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. - Long before ut hit the Philadelphia region, Hurricane Irene opened its assault on the Eastern Seaboard on Saturday by lashing the North Carolina coast with winds as strong as 115 mph and pounding shoreline homes with waves. Farther north, from Baltimore to Philadelphia to New York, authorities readied a massive shutdown of trains and airports, with 2 million people ordered out of the way. At least three people died because of the storm in the South.

NAGUA, Dominican Republic - Powerful Hurricane Irene cut a destructive path through the Caribbean on Monday, raking Puerto Rico with strong winds and rain, then spinning just north of the Dominican Republic on a track that could carry it to the U.S. Southeast as a major storm by the end of the week. Irene grew into a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 m.p.h. as it churned north of the Dominican Republic. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said it could become a Category 3 storm by the time it slams into the United States, possibly landing in South Carolina, Florida, or Georgia.

A tropical storm warning - not as serious as a hurricane warning - has been issued for the counties along the Jersey Shore, Sussex County in Delaware and New York's Long Island. That means sustained winds could reach 40 m.p.h. or more, as Hurricane Earl passes within 200 miles on Friday, bringing higher surf, rougher seas and rain, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to turn more to the northeast - away from the coast - as it approaches North Carolina.