Tropical Storm Lee is expected to become an “extremely dangerous” hurricane by the weekend, according to forecasters. The storm is currently located 1,230 miles east of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles and has sustained winds of 50 mph, moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami warns that by Sunday evening Tropical Storm Lee could reach category 3 or higher hurricane strength with winds up to 150 mph. Although the initial forecasts do not predict landfall, the Center is warning communities in the Atlantic, particularly the Caribbean region, to be aware and closely watch the storm’s path.
Lee developed on Tuesday morning in the central tropical Atlantic and is taking advantage of the extremely warm waters in the region to strengthen very quickly. This is known as rapid intensification, where a storm’s winds increase by at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less. Lee could reach category 5 on Sunday night, which is the strongest category of hurricanes.
In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Jova is also gaining strength and is projected to become a hurricane by Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The storm is currently located 675 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California and is moving west-northwest at 9 mph.
Looking at TS Lee’s satellite structure shows steady improvement this eve, starting to see the classic curved bands of deep convection. Then I took the latest HiresGFS radar 4cast & moved it forward in time out to Sept 10th. TS Lee is on his way to becoming a MAJOR Hurricane. gn pic.twitter.com/BXFdG6OBpY
— Ron (MR W”R”X)🌪🏎 (@mrwx4caster) September 6, 2023
As of now, it is uncertain as to whether Lee will directly impact the United States mainland but, in either scenario, dangerous rip currents and surf will be expected on the east coast. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns that this year will have an abnormal above-normal hurricane season with 14 to 21 named storms and two to five major hurricanes.
These threats come only days after Hurricane Idalia hit Florida and destroyed thousands of homes last week. Officials are urging the public to stay vigilant and prepared as Tropical Storm Lee continues to increase in strength and size, and as Tropical Storm Jova makes is way up north. With more strong storms coming for the rest of the season, every community must take all necessary precautions to ensure its people’s safety.
