Hurricane Lee was rapidly strengthening in the Atlantic Thursday and was expected to intensify into an “extremely dangerous” and possibly Category 5 storm over the next few days, forecasters said.
Hurricane Lee became a category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph as it moved west-northwest at 15 mph about 870 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands Thursday, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Watch live: Track Hurricane Lee as it moves across the Atlantic
Lee was forecast to become a major hurricane by early Saturday and reach category 4 intensity with winds of 150 mph over the weekend, the NHC said. Forecasters said it could possibly reach category 5 status at one point.
No watches or warnings were in effect for the hurricane. Large ocean swells are likely to reach the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through the weekend.
Current models show Lee staying to the north of Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands. The models also show Lee likely turning more northward next week and staying away from Florida and the southeastern United States.
Lee is now the 12th named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called for an “above-normal” season in its updated forecast last month, with 14-21 named storms including 6-11 that could become hurricanes and 2-5 that could become major hurricanes.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/9wd1XSR
No comments:
Post a Comment