Tropical Storm Karl forms in Atlantic

As of 11 p.m. Thursday, Karl has 45 miles per hour maximum winds and is moving straight west at 18 miles per hour.

That wave had a 50 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next five days, but it could run into a more unfavorable environment for strengthening by next week, forecasters said. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles to the east of the center.

Tropical Depression #12 was upgraded to Tropical Storm Karl Thursday evening.

The disturbance is expected to move westward toward the Texas coast. The depression is moving toward the west near 16 miles per hour.

Forecasters had issued flood watches, concerned about additional rains coming less than two weeks after Tropical Storm Hermine sloshed across the state.

Meanwhile, Julia has redeveloped into a tropical storm off the coast of the Carolinas, and Tropical Storm Ian remains in the open Atlantic.

The WTOC forecast team will continue to monitor Tropical Depression Julia through the weekend. Neither county had activated emergency operation centers, but emergency officials for each area are monitoring the system and will make changes as needed, according to officials. Average high for Montgomery the last few days of summer is 88°, so not expecting average of below average temperatures the next 7-10 days. So we have a couple of significant considerations while tracking & forecasting “Karl”.

The weekend will bring highs in the low 80s for Saturday with a slight chance for a storm.

East of Julia is Tropical Storm Ian, which is east of Bermuda; but it poses no threat to any land areas.

The wind shear (red lines represent strongest shear) analysis shows strong shear over “Julia”.