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Local Storm Outlook is Positive

Sept. 25, 2004 – While most of the nation's eyes are on Hurricane Jeanne as it approaches Florida, Virgin Islands residents are still looking east toward Tropical Storm Lisa.
"But I don't see how it could be a concern to us," Todd Kimberlain, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Juan, said Saturday.
He said that Tropical Storm Lisa is now moving toward the northwest. While forecasters expect it to turn toward the west, Kimberlain said that by the time that happens, the storm should be at a latitude north of the Virgin Islands.
He expects the storm to be at 21 degrees north latitude in about two days, about three degrees north of the Virgin Islands' latitude.
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, Tropical Storm Lisa is centered at 15.9 degrees north latitude and 45.6 degrees west longitude. This puts it about 1,435 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands.
The storm has winds of 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend out 85 miles.
The barometric pressure stands at 1002 millibars or 29.58 inches.
The storm is moving toward the northwest at 9 mph.
Kimberlain said that Tropical Storm Lisa has merged with a tropical system that followed on its tail.
A weak disturbance is now west of the Cape Verde Islands, but Kimberlain said the area is not favorable for development.
Kimberlain said that in most years, the Cape Verde season runs from mid-August to about the third week in September.
"This year it looks like it will be more extended. In these very active seasons, we cannot rule anything out," he said.
Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
So far this season, seven storms have made hurricane status. Five, including Tropical Storm Lisa, remained as tropical storms. Tropical Depression 10 formed near the Azores, but lasted only one day.
Six of those seven hurricanes reached the intense category reserved for storms with winds over 111 mph.
William Gray, a hurricane forecaster at Colorado State University, in his September update predicted that this season will see a total of 16 named storms. He expected eight of them to become hurricanes. Gray's already missed the mark on his intense hurricane prediction. He thought only five would reach that status, but this season's tally now stands at six thanks to Hurricane Jeanne. That storm reached intense status on Saturday when winds jumped to 115 mph.
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