Karen is stronger this evening.
As of 8 PM EDT/AST, Karen had sustained winds of 45 mph, a minimum pressure of 1003 mb, and was moving northeast at 10 mph.
Forecast for Karen
Not much has changed with regard to the forecast for Karen.
One Karen moves north of Puerto Rico Wednesday, lower shear will likely allow for some additional strengthening.
However, dry air is now expected to become an issue by Thursday/Friday, which could halt/slow intensification, or even cause weakening and/or dissipation.
The National Hurricane Center is calling for steady intensification, and for Karen to become a strong tropical storm by the weekend.
A ridge (high pressure) is still likely to cause an eventual turn to the west/west-southwest by late week/this weekend (see figure 2).
Florida, the U.S. East Coast, and Bahamas should continue to monitor the progress of Karen.
