Category 2 Hurricane Lee updates from the National Hurricane Center for Thursday, Sep 14

Article first published: Thursday, Sep. 14, 2023, 5 a.m. ET

Article last updated: Thursday, Sep. 14, 2023, 8 a.m. ET

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 am Thursday advisory, Category 2 Hurricane Lee is 265 miles southwest of Bermuda and 795 miles south of Nantucket Massachusetts, with maximum sustained wind of 100 mph. It’s moving 12 mph to the north.

"A turn toward the north-northeast and then northeast is forecast Saturday night and Sunday." forecasters explained. "On the forecast track, the center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda today and tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday." They also said "Weakening is forecast, but Lee is expected to remain a large and dangerous hurricane for the next couple of days."

YESTERDAY (Wednesday):

Yesterday, Lee lost momentum and regressed from a Category 3 hurricane to a Category 2 hurricane, with winds of 100 miles per hour.

Portions of atlantic Canada placed under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm watch by forecasters.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

- Stonington, Maine to the U.S./Canada border

- New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island

- Nova Scotia from Digby to Medway Harbour

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

- Bermuda

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

- Watch Hill, Rhode Island to Stonington, Maine

- Block Island

- Martha's Vineyard

- Nantucket

- New Brunswick from north of Point Lepreau to Fort Lawrence

- Nova Scotia west coast from north of Digby to Fort Lawrence

- Nova Scotia southeast coast from north of Medway Harbour to Porter’s Lake

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:

- Cape Cod Bay

- Nantucket

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.

A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-

Threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov.

Interests elsewhere in the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada should monitor the progress of Lee.

For storm information specific to your area in the United States,

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND:

WIND: Tropical storm conditions will continue on Bermuda through Friday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch areas in Down East Maine and in Atlantic Canada on Saturday.

Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Tropical Storm Watch area in coastal New England and Atlantic Canada late Friday into Saturday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...

Chatham, MA to Sagamore Beach, MA...2-4 ft Cape Cod Bay...2-4 ft Nantucket...2-4 ft Sagamore Beach, MA to Border of US/Canada...1-3 ft Boston Harbor...1-3 ft Flushing, NY to Chatham, MA...1-3 ft Montauk Point, NY to Flushing, NY...1-3 ft Long Island Sound...1-3 ft Martha's Vineyard...1-3 ft Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY...1-2 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

A dangerous storm surge could produce coastal flooding within the wind watch areas in Atlantic Canada in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

SURF: Swells generated by Lee are affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico,

Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and are beginning to reach Atlantic Canada. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

RAINFALL: Outer rain bands from Lee could produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches, or 25 to 50 millimeters, across Bermuda today into early Friday.

From Friday night through Saturday night, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches, or 25 to 100 millimeters, across portions of eastern New England into portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This could produce localized urban and small stream flooding.

Source: National Hurricane Center

This article was generated by the Miami Herald Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. Full hurricane coverage at miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/