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HURRICANE KARL
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| Hurricane Karl in the Atlantic |
A small non-tropical low was tracked off the Carolinas on September 21, where it moved east and organized, forming Tropical
Depression Eleven when located just a few miles to the north of Bermuda on September 23. The depression organized steadily
and moved eastward, becoming Tropical Storm Karl later that day. Karl curved to the ESE after being named, and continued this
motion through September 24. The storm became more symmetrical on September 25, and a steadily falling pressure made Karl
a hurricane that day. When Karl became a hurricane, it created a unique phenomenon. At that time, Hurricane Georges was over
the Florida Keys, Hurricane Ivan was over the North Atlantic near the Azores, and Hurricane Jeanne was midway between Africa
and the Lesser Antilles. This created four simultaneous hurricanes, a phenomenon only recorded once before in history in 1893.
Anyways, a trough located to the west of the hurricane caused the storm to turn to the NE after becoming a hurricane. Karl
continued to strengthen as it accelerated in this direction, and reached Category 2 intensity late on September 26. Karl reached
its peak intensity with winds of 105 mph and a pressure of 970 mbar early on September 27. This intensity did not last, and
the cooler waters accompanied by increasing wind shear began to show effect on the storm. Karl turned to the ENE and weakened
to a Category 1 storm late on the 27th, then to a tropical storm early on the 28th, before becoming extratropical later that
day. The extratropical remnant was tracked on a long journey that took it to the south of Ireland by September 29. No damages
or casualties were reported due to Karl.
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