Hurricane Lee has reverted to a major Category 3 hurricane and is expected to gain some strength this week as Hurricane Margot forms in the Atlantic Ocean while the National Hurricane Center monitors two other systems with a chance to develop.
As of 11 p.m. Monday, Lee was located about 410 miles north-northwest of the Northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean and 580 miles south of Bermuda and moving west-northwest at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. Hours and higher storms. Its hurricane-force winds extend up to 80 miles, and its tropical storm-force winds extend up to 185 miles.
“A slow movement from west-northwest to northwest is expected over the next two days, followed by a turn north by midweek,” the meteorologists said. “On the expected course, Lee is expected to pass near Bermuda, but to the west, in a few days.”
Bermuda lies within the cone of uncertainty but is not yet subject to any monitoring or warnings. However, Lee’s ocean waves are expected to threaten conditions along the US coast including Florida today after they have already seeped through the Atlantic Ocean to batter parts of the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Bermuda.
“These waves are likely to cause life-threatening waves and disrupt current conditions,” the meteorologists said. “Dangerous waves and rip currents have begun
These conditions affect portions of the southeast coast of the United States, and these conditions are expected to spread north along the east coast of the United States over the next two days.
tornado #for me He was revived back to Class 3 power with a renewed eye. Lee is currently creeping west-northwest, and is still expected to turn north and stay offshore the east coast of the United States, but dangerous rip currents and rip currents are expected as Lee heads north and grows in size. pic.twitter.com/m7wshllWBA
– UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) September 10, 2023
The forecast of intensity has grown the system to a Category 4 status with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of up to 160 mph later Monday and remains a major hurricane through Wednesday. Last week the erratic storm grew in less than half a day from a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds to a Category 5 with 160 mph sustained winds reaching 165 mph after 12 hours before dropping back down to Category 2 and now growing again. .
“Although Typhoon Lee is expected to weaken later in the week, it is expected to increase significantly in size and risks will extend farther away from the center of the storm by the end of the forecast period,” the forecaster said.
Its path could lead to Hurricane Lee’s wind field affecting Bermuda, followed by an uncertain path that could threaten the northeastern states of the United States or Canada. The last path has parts of New England inside the cone of uncertainty.
“It’s still too early to tell what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the east coast of the US and Atlantic Canada late this week, especially as the hurricane is expected to slow significantly over the southwestern Atlantic,” the forecasters said. .
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Margot became the fifth hurricane of the season as it moved northward over the open central subtropical Atlantic Ocean.
At 5 p.m., Hurricane Margot’s center was located about 1,265 miles northwest of the Cape Verde Islands and moving north at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph making it a Category 1 hurricane. Its hurricane-force winds extend up to 15 miles, and its tropical storm-force winds extend up to 125 miles.
“This movement is expected to continue over the next few days,” meteorologists said. “Further strengthening is expected over the next 48 hours.”
Margot follows the season’s other hurricanes Don, Franklin, Idalia, and Lee, with the last three hurricanes building into major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center has been tracking two systems that have a chance to form in this season’s next depression or tropical storm. If either of them reaches named storm status, they could become Tropical Storm Nigel followed by Tropical Storm Ophelia next.
The most likely occurrence between the two this week is a tropical wave in the far eastern tropical Atlantic that moved off the coast of West Africa on Sunday bringing some unorganized rain and thunderstorms.
Forecasters said that environmental conditions appear to be favorable for the gradual development of this system, especially after its merger with the low pressure area to its west. “A tropical depression will likely form from the combined system by the end of this week as it moves west-northwest at 15 to 20 mph over the central tropical Atlantic.”
The NHC gives it a 10% chance of developing in the next two days and a 70% chance in the next seven days.
A closer system, but with fewer chances, is in the eastern tropical Atlantic several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands with limited, disorganized rainfall and thunderstorm activity.
“Further development of this system is becoming increasingly unlikely before it merges with a tropical wave to its east over the next two days,” meteorologists said.
The NHC gives it a 10% chance of forming within the next two to seven days.
The 2023 season runs from June 1 to November. 30 has already produced 13 named storms.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s most recent hurricane forecast updated in August increased its outlook for an above-average season predicting 14-21 named storms, of which 6-11 could become hurricanes and 2-5 could become major hurricanes.
“Infuriatingly humble analyst. Bacon maven. Proud food specialist. Certified reader. Avid writer. Zombie advocate. Incurable problem solver.”