Tropical Storm Kirk is back and on a path for the Caribbean

Kirk is a tropical storm again, but probably not for long.

The National Hurricane Center said Kirk, which had fallen apart on Monday over the central Atlantic, had regenerated, and tropical storm watches and warnings have been issued for the Lesser Antilles.

As of 4 a.m. CDT Wednesday, Tropical Storm Kirk was located about 470 miles east of Barbados and was moving west at 18 mph.

Kirk had winds of 45 mph, making it a minimal tropical storm.

The hurricane center said that an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft will
take a closer look at Kirk later this morning to provide more detailed information on its intensity.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for Barbados and St. Lucia, and a watch was in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The hurricane center said Kirk was expected to approach Barbados and the northern Windward Islands on Thursday afternoon and move into the Caribbean by Friday morning.

Kirk may be a tropical storm again, but it isn't expected to become a hurricane and could rapidly weaken on Friday once it gets into the Caribbean.

The storm could bring 4-6 inches of rain to the islands, with some areas getting up to 10 inches, which could produce deadly flash flooding and mudslides.

The hurricane center was also watching two other areas for development on Wednesday.

The first, associated with the remnants of Hurricane Florence, was located about 100 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, N.C., early Wednesday.

The hurricane center said the chances were decreasing that it could become a tropical depression before upper-level winds become more unfavorable later today.

It could bring scattered rain and storms to flood-stricken parts of the Carolinas.

The system is expected to move along or near the North Carolina coast later this morning and then merge with a frontal system or dissipate offshore of New England on Thursday.

Forecasters were also watching Post-Tropical Storm Leslie in the central Atlantic, which could acquire some tropical or subtropical features on Thursday or Friday as it meanders over the open sea. Leslie is not expected to affect land.

(National Hurricane Center)

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