13 September, 2017
The new storm, the tenth to be officially named by the National Hurricane Center this season, is now east of the Lesser Antilles, a collection of small islands.
"Additional steady strengthening seems likely during the next few days since Jose is expected to remain in favorable environmental conditions", the center said early Wednesday morning, adding that there is a 28% chance of "Jose rapidly intensifying during the next 24 hours".
Forecasters have predicted damaging winds, drenching rains and a risky storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico. It was expected to gain some strength but the effects of Irma were seen eventually weakening that storm.
The storm is now moving west at a speed of 13 miles per hour.
A third named storm in the Atlantic is hovering near Mexico.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour and is moving west-northwest at 17 mph.
A U.S. Air Force plane is set to check on Katia later today. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1004 mb (29.65 inches).
Jose was upgraded to a hurricane in the Atlantic, far east of Hurricane Irma which is now on its way to Florida.
Katia is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 5 to 10 inches over northern Veracruz, and 2 to 5 inches over far southern Tamaulipas, northeast Puebla, and southern Veracruz through Saturday morning.
Other possible paths mean the storm could potentially bypass the eastern Mexican shore altogether, according to local news outlet KRIS-TV.
Shortly before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Cuba late Friday night as a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Katia made landfall as a Category 1 storm north of Tecolutla, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.
