Now we have three named storms spinning in the Atlantic basin. - hurricanes Igor (Cat. 4) and Julia (Cat. 1) and a tropical storm, Karl, which graduated to that status this afternoon. According to my finger count, Karl is the 11th named storm of the season.

Karl is gathering strength in the western Caribbean, posing a growing threat to Mexico, Cuba, Belize and Guatemala. It was centered about 270 miles east of Chetumal, Mexico, moving to the west northwest at 15 mph. Top sustained winds were 40 mph - minimal tropical storm force.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Karl was expected to slow its forward speed, finally moving over the Yucatan peninsula on Wednesday, and then to the southwestern Gulf of Mexico late Wednesday or Thursday. It looks like this one will make a second landfall in northeastern Mexico.

(The U.S. mainland, except for Hermine in Texas, seems to have been in a protective bubble so far this season.)

Tropical Storm Warnings were posted for parts of the Yucatan, with Watches up for northern Belize. From the NHC:

"A STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE SOME COASTAL
FLOODING NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.
NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND
DAMAGING WAVES.

"RAINFALL...KARL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3
TO 5 INCHES OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...BELIZE...AND NORTHERN
GUATEMALA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES."

Here is the latest advisory for Karl. Here is the forecast storm track. And here is the view from orbit.

Hurricane Igor, meanwhile, a threat mostly to Bermuda and soon to swimmers on the East Coast, was strengthening again this afternoon. Here the latest advisory. And here is part of a Hazardous Weather Outlook statement from the NWS forecast office in Mt. Holly, NJ, covering beaches in southern NJ and Delaware:

"THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AND SLOWLY
BUILDING SURF FROM THIS FRIDAY THROUGH AT LEAST THIS WEEKEND AS
HURRICANE IGOR LURKS WELL OFF THE EAST COAST. PLEASE MONITOR
TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER PROJECTIONS OF IGOR"

I suspect we will see similar advisories soon for Maryland and Carolina beaches as the storm moves north.