Tropical Storm Kirk formed south of the Cabo Verde Islands on Saturday.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Kirk was located at latitude 8.3°N and longitude 23.6°W which put it about 450 miles (730 km) south of the Cabo Verde Islands.  Kirk was moving toward the west at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1005 mb.

The circulation around Tropical Storm Kirk is large and not well organized.  There is a low level center of circulation, but there are not many thunderstorms near the center.  There were thunderstorms in a cluster west of the center and more thunderstorms were in another cluster east of the center.  Some of the thunderstorms appeared to be organizing into bands, but the bands were not well developed.

Tropical Storm Kirk will move through an environment during the next day or two that should be favorable for intensification.  Kirk will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 27°C.  It will move through an area where the upper level winds are weak and the wind shear will not be strong enough to prevent intensification.  Tropical Storm Kirk is likely to become more organized during the next 24 to 48 hours.  It will move into a region in a couple of days where the lower level easterly winds will be stronger vertical wind shear could increase.

Tropical Storm Kirk will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean.  The high will steer Kirk toward the west at a fairly quick pace.  On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Kirk could approach the Lesser Antilles by late next week.

Elsewhere over the tropical Atlantic, Tropical Depression Eleven moved slowly toward the Windward Islands.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Depression Eleven was located at latitude 13.2°N and longitude 53.8°W which put it about 485 miles (780 km) east of the Windward Islands.  It was moving toward the west at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1008 mb.