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Hurricane Lee downgraded to Category 3
Hurricane Lee exploded into a powerful Category 5 storm within 24 hours as it whirled across the open Atlantic Ocean but has been downgraded to a Category 3, though forecasters predict the storm could gain strength over the weekend and into next week.
“Confidence in the intensity forecast is low at the moment, although it is likely that Lee will remain a dangerous hurricane for at least the next [five] days,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
It remains “too soon to know” what its potential impacts “if any” along the US Atlantic seaboard could look like, though “dangerous surf and rip currents are expected” on Sunday and Monday and could “worsen” in the coming week, the center announced.
Lee was roughly 400 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands as of Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
The storm is expected to pass north of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the northern Leeward Islands, according to forecasters, but life-threatening surf and rip conditions generated by the hurricane could impact the British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas and Bermuda.
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Lee ‘maintaining strength’ but ‘little change expected’ on Saturday
Hurricane Lee is “maintaing strength” as a recently downgraded Category 3 storm as it moves across the Atlanta Ocean with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph with higher gusts, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
“Little change in strength is expected today, but gradual restrengthening is forecast to occur on Sunday and Monday,” according to the advisory.
Alex Woodward9 September 2023 16:25
Lee is in rare company during an already-historic storm year
For the first time on record, Category 5 storms have formed in every tropical ocean basin within one year.
Lee, which has since downgraded to a Category 3 as it tracks along open Atlantic Ocean, accelerated from Category 1 strength into a Category 5 this week.
“I think it’s reasonable to hypothesize that the abnormally warm ocean temperatures around the world made this more likely to happen,” University of Miami, hurricane expert Brian McNoldy told The Washington Post. “Gives everything a boost.”
Alex Woodward9 September 2023 15:35
‘Way too soon’ to chart US impacts, if any, but Lee could strengthen as it moves across open ocean
Hurricane Lee ramped up to a Category 5 storm within 24 hours this week, but it has been downgraded to a Category 3 and will likely lose strength over the course of the day as it struggles with wind shear.
The National Hurricane Center continues to stress it is still “way too soon” to know what impacts, if any, the storm could have along the East Coast of the US, and the storm could gain strength as it continues to move with sustained winds at 115 mph as of Saturday morning.
Dangerous and life-threatening rip currents are affecting parts of the Leeward Islands, according to NHC. Those conditions are expected to impact parts of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas and Bermuda over the weekend.
Alex Woodward9 September 2023 14:30
Will Hurricane Lee reach New York?
Some forecast models suggest that Hurricane Lee could graze the US East Coast – but the jury is still out.
“Regardless, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along most of the US East Coast beginning Sunday,” the National Hurricane Center warned.
Louise Boyle9 September 2023 11:06
Watch: Inside the eye of Hurricane Lee
Inside the eye of Hurricane Lee
Louise Boyle9 September 2023 10:07
Lee gains elite status
Lee is expected to keep strengthening and reach winds of up to 180mph (290kph).
Only seven Atlantic hurricanes have had winds of that magnitude since 1966, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
Among those was Hurricane Dorian, which pummeled the northern Bahamas in 2019 as a Category 5 storm, hovering over small islands for some two days.
Louise Boyle9 September 2023 09:03
Lee gains elite status
Lee is expected to keep strengthening and reach winds of up to 180mph (290kph).
Only seven Atlantic hurricanes have had winds of that magnitude since 1966, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
Among those was Hurricane Dorian, which pummeled the northern Bahamas in 2019 as a Category 5 storm, hovering over small islands for some two days.
Louise Boyle9 September 2023 05:05
Watch: Inside the eye of Hurricane Lee
Inside the eye of Hurricane Lee
Louise Boyle9 September 2023 04:04
Hurricane Lee powers through Caribbean as forecasters warn ‘too soon to know’ of US impact next week
‘We will see waves between 10 and 15 feet, so we don’t want anyone on the beaches’.
Graeme Massie9 September 2023 01:01
Ocean warnings
The National Hurricane Center said that dangerous surf and deadly rip currents will likely hit the northern Leeward Islands later Friday from Hurricane Lee.
They would spread to Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Bermuda over the weekend.
“We will see waves between 10 and 15 feet (3 and 5 meters), so we don’t want anyone on the beaches,” said Ernesto Morales with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The National Hurricane Center said dangerous surf and rip currents were forecast for most of the US East Coast starting Sunday. (AP)
Louise Boyle9 September 2023 00:03
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