ORLANDO, Fla. _ Tropical Storm Karen is now a tropical depression while Hurricane Lorenzo also slightly weakened but retained its Category 4 wind strength, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. EDT update.
Karen has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and is expected to lose more steam over the next 12 hours leaving it with sustained winds of 30 mph, the NHC said.
Karen's unusual path is projected to head northeast until early Saturday morning, when it is expected to turn west and toward Florida. However, Karen is predicted to dissipate in the next four days and should have no effect on the Sunshine State, the NHC said.
"Increasingly hostile upper-level winds should then prevent the cyclone from reorganizing and it is forecast to dissipate in about four days," said NHC hurricane specialist David Zelinsky.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Hurricane Lorenzo lost some strength but remains powerful with sustained winds to 140 mph, the NHC said in its 11 a.m. update. Lorenzo is a very large storm with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 45 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 265 miles.
Lorenzo is so strong that its sending powerful waves from the mid-Atlantic all the way to Florida.
Lorenzo is moving at 14 mph north-northwest but is expected to lose strength as it moves northeast and toward the direction of Europe over the next few days.
"Gradual weakening is then anticipated through early next week due to a modest increase in shear and a decrease in available ocean heat content," Zelinsky said.
