JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some rain with gusty winds is affect Puerto Rico as the center of Karen approaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

At 1100 a.m. AST (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Karen was located near latitude 17.5 north, longitude 65.8 west. Karen is moving toward the north near 8 mph (13 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today. A north-northeastward motion with some increase in forward speed is forecast tonight through Wednesday night. On the forecast track, the center of Karen will pass near or over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands this afternoon and then move over the western Atlantic tonight and Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is expected during the next couple of days.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) mainly to the southeast of the center.

The minimum central pressure estimated from air force reserve hurricane hunter aircraft data and surface observations is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).

Longer term, it is too soon to tell as both strong upper-level winds and intensifying large East coast high pressure may cause the system to fade away. The moisture however, may continue to push into Florida later next week.