Tropical Storm Karen Expected To Make Roller Coaster Loop: NHC

MIAMI, FL — Wednesday's 5 p.m. forecast for Tropical Storm Karen looked more like a new roller coaster design for Busch Gardens than a weather track, but that's exactly what it was. The National Hurricane Center expects Karen to make the weather equivalent of a loop over the Atlantic in the next few days.

The unusual movement may put the hurricane-ravaged Bahamas and even Florida on the potential path of the storm, which was located about 330 miles north, northeast of San Juan with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

"A north-northeastward to northeastward motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected through early Friday," the National Hurricane Center said at 5 p.m. Wednesday. "Karen is then expected to slow down and make a clockwise loop over the southwestern Atlantic into the weekend."

It's still too early to tell where the storm heads from there.

Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center is also monitoring newly formed Hurricane Lorenzo, which had been a tropical storm in the Atlantic.

Jerry had also been a hurricane at one time but was no longer carrying sustained tropical-force winds as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center said it planned to discontinue its advisories on Jerry.

The center of Lorenzo was moving toward the west, northwest near 18 mph with sustained winds of 90 mph. The storm was located about 835 miles west of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

"Additional strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Lorenzo is forecast to become a major
hurricane on Thursday," the National Hurricane Center said.