On September 19th the National Hurricane Center predicted that, the system will become a tropical depression and if the storm grows up stronger than that, it will be named Tropical Storm Ophelia.

The National Hurricane Center ensured that, Hurricane Hilary has grown in strength to become a Category 4 storm as it approaches southwestern Mexico on 22nd September 2011. The U.S. National Hurricane Center revealed the storm has become more powerful, with top winds of 135 miles (215 kilometers) per hour.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Ophelia reclaimed tropical storm status and is forecast to reach hurricane strength on a track that may take it east of Bermuda this weekend. Ophelia’s winds are 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour, up from 35 mph earlier today, according to an advisory at 5 p.m. The system is about 180 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, moving north-northwest at 7 mph.

In addition to Ophelia, forecasters are monitoring Tropical Storm Philippe, which is about 1,040 miles west of Cape Verde with 40-mph winds. Once its winds drop below 39 mph, it will become a tropical depression.

In the Pacific, Hurricane Hilary may drop to tropical storm status overnight and dissipate by the end of the week, the center said. The storm is 640 miles west-southwest of Baja California with winds of 80 mph and is moving at 8 mph.

Hurricane Katia weakened to a Category 3 with 125 mph (205 kph) on Tuesday 6th September as moved across the Atlantic Ocean after briefly becoming a Category 4 system.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Katia’s greatest sustained winds early Tuesday decreased to near 125 miles an hour. The hurricane center said some fluctuation in strength is possible over the next 24 hours followed by slow weakening. Forecast maps showed Katia veering to the northeast, away from the U.S. in the coming week, but the hurricane center said large swells from the hurricane could affect the East Coast, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and parts of the Bahamas over the next few days.

Meanwhile, the destructive remnants of Tropical Storm Lee rolled north after spawning tornadoes, sweeping several people away, flooding roads and knocking out power to thousands across the South. More rain was expected in parts of Tennessee, where records have already been broken. Flash flood watches and warnings were in effect early Tuesday from the southern end of the Appalachians northeastward into New England, according to the Hydro meteorological Prediction Center. Tornado watches were in effect for parts of North Carolina.

Rain kept falling in Tennessee early Tuesday (6th September) after a wet Monday. Chattanooga went from it’s driest-ever month in August, with 0.01 inch of rain to a record one-day deluge of 8.16 inches by 5 p.m. Monday. By dawn Tuesday, 10 inches of rain had fallen in the state’s fourth-largest city