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New Storm Forms, 'Hazardous Seas' expected

Sept. 19, 2004 – The 13th tropical depression of the 2004 hurricane season formed late Sunday afternoon, but at this point, it doesn't look like it will be unlucky for the Virgin Islands.
However, that could change, Brian Seeley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Juan, said.
"It depends on what happens with Jeanne and Karl. It's far too early to write off TD 13 in terms of where it's going to track," Seeley said late Sunday afternoon.
He said Tropical Storm Jeanne and Hurricane Karl could interact, which could influence Tropical Depression 13's path, he said.
Hurricane Karl should send heavy swells to the Virgin Islands on Wednesday. Tropical Storm Jeanne is now located 145 miles east-northeast of San Salvador in the Bahamas, but swells from the storm will travel far south to the Virgin Islands on Thursday.
"Mariners and wave enthusiasts should be on the lookout for hazardous seas by the middle of the week," Seeley warned.
Forecasters expect Tropical Depression 13 to strengthen within the next day. If it becomes a tropical storm, its name will be Lisa.
At the 5 p.m. update, Tropical Depression 13 is centered at 13.3 degrees north latitude and 33.2 degrees west longitude. This puts it about 645 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.
The depression has winds of 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph.
The barometric pressure stands at 1004 millibars or 29.64 inches.
The storm is moving toward the west at 11 mph.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Karl is still churning out in the Atlantic, but forecasters continue to think it will pose no threat to the Virgin Islands. At 5 p.m. Sunday, the storm is packing winds of 135 mph with gusts to 160 mph. It's currently centered at 17 degrees north latitude and 44 degrees west longitude, or 1,115 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. The hurricane is moving west-northwest at 10 mph.
While the National Weather Service has those three storms on its plate, they're also watching an area of disturbed weather far out in the Atlantic Ocean.
"People want to stay focused for the next couple of weeks," Seeley said.
While hurricane season continues until Nov. 30, most of the activity comes in late August and September.
This season, storms have strengthened with amazing ease, and Tropical Storm Jeanne was a good example, Seeley said. The storm seemed to develop out of nowhere on Sept. 13.

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