Miami, September 23 (RHC)-- The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says that Tropical Storm Karen, which formed on Sunday, was expected to pass near or over Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands on Tuesday.  

According to weather watchers, the storm has picked up speed, triggering a tropical storm watch to be issued for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.  A watch indicates that tropical storm conditions, including gusty winds and heavy rainfall, could hit an area within the next 24 hours.

Karen is currently holding steady on maximum sustained winds at 40 mph, according to a public advisory issued by the National Weather Service.  The storm formed early in the morning on Sunday just east of the Windward Islands, and is now located about 65 miles south southwest of St. Vincent Island and 30 miles north of Grenada.