A formidable hurricane, Hurricane Lee, currently swirling in the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, has drawn the watchful eye of forecasters as it steadily advances toward the east coast of the United States and Canada. With each passing day, Lee’s intensity grows, setting the stage for a potentially significant weather event this weekend.
As of the latest reports, Hurricane Lee has shifted its course northward and is expected to continue expanding in size as it journeys further. By Friday night, it is projected to become a formidable hurricane positioned off the coast of New England, potentially causing widespread impacts.
According to data from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Lee currently boasts sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h). It’s not just the US that needs to be vigilant; residents along coastal Canada have also been issued warnings to brace for the approaching storm.
The NHC, in its Wednesday advisory, noted, “Slow weakening is forecast during the next few days; however, Lee is likely to remain a large and dangerous hurricane into the weekend.” Due to the sheer size of Lee, its effects could be felt far from the hurricane’s center, creating a potentially wide-reaching impact zone.
Although Lee briefly dropped to a category two hurricane on Wednesday, it’s essential to remember that hurricane-force winds can extend up to 115 miles (185 km) from its center, while tropical storm force winds can reach outward up to 240 miles.
East Coast residents in coastal cities of US and Canada asked to take precautions as Hurricane Lee looms
Already, Lee has begun “producing dangerous surf and rip currents” along the southeastern US coast, as reported by the US National Weather Service (NWS). To further underscore the severity of the situation, hurricane and tropical storm watches have been issued, covering the entire coastlines of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and significant portions of Maine.
Bermuda, too, was placed under a tropical storm warning earlier in the day, highlighting the far-reaching influence of this massive hurricane.
Hurricane Lee, born in the first week of September, is on track to impact regions that have already experienced above-average rainfall over the past month. The situation has become so dire that Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency on Tuesday night as flash floods ravaged roads, created sinkholes, and damaged buildings across the state.
Experts are also sounding the alarm about the potential for downed trees due to the hurricane’s size and strength. At this stage, it remains challenging to pinpoint the exact location of Lee’s landfall, but forecasts suggest it will likely occur somewhere between Maine and Nova Scotia on Sunday or Monday.
Leading up to landfall, forecasters anticipate coastal flooding, substantial rainfall, and storm surges that could impact the region by the weekend. As more data becomes available in the coming days, forecasters should be able to provide a more precise projection of Lee’s path.
Hurricane Lee’s rapid intensification from a category one to a category five within a mere 24 hours on September 8 has raised eyebrows. It marked the third-fastest intensification in the past four decades, leaving climate scientists astonished. While the role of climate change in the frequency of tropical storms is still a matter of research, the increased sea surface temperatures are known to fuel hurricanes, potentially making them more intense and prone to extreme rainfall.