In its seventh bulletin on the 11th storm of the current Atlantic cyclonic season, the entity emphasizes that Kirk’s maximum sustained winds are close to 95 km/h with stronger gusts.

According to forecasts, it will strengthen and become a hurricane tonight and will become a major hurricane on Thursday.

Located 1,505 km west of Cape Verde Islands, its tropical storm-force winds extend up to 260 km from the center.

Formed the day before, Kirk is circulating in the area along with Joyce, whose remnants are over the central Atlantic Ocean.

Meteorologists are also monitoring a disturbance (AL91) in the eastern tropical Atlantic that is generating showers and thunderstorms with signs of organization in association with a broad area of low pressure located a few hundred miles south of Cape Verde Islands.

Environmental conditions appear conducive for further development of this system, and it is very likely to form a trough over the next few days as it moves slowly westward over the eastern tropical Atlantic.

jrr/jav/mem/alb