Hurricane Lee picking up speed. New tropical depression expected to become hurricane soon
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Hurricane Lee is picking up speed as it continues its path toward New England, according to the last advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
Lee was still a Category 1 hurricane at 5 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
"Lee will likely become extratropical around the time it makes landfall," NHC forecasters said.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to occur across parts of coastal New England this evening as residents prepared for the storm's arrival.
NHC forecasters said Lee is expected to still be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches eastern New England and Atlantic Canada.
Highlights from 5 p.m. advisory
Hurricane Lee remains a large hurricane over the western Atlantic.
Lee will likely become extratropical around the time it makes landfall.
Hurricane conditions are possible across portions of Down East Maine, southern New Brunswick, and western Nova Scotia on Saturday within the hurricane watch area.
Tropical storm conditions and coastal flooding are expected to occur in southern New England within the tropical storm warning area this evening.
Heavy rainfall from Lee may produce localized urban and small stream flooding across eastern New England and into portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from tonight into Saturday night.
AccuWeather meteorologists are urging people from eastern New England to the Canadian Maritimes to complete hurricane preparations early Friday before the large storm approaches this weekend.
They predicted "Hurricane Lee will make landfall from western Nova Scotia to New Brunswick, with an outside chance of landfall as far west as the Maine this weekend."
East of Lee is Margot, which is now a tropical storm and expected to continue weakening.
In the central Atlantic is newly named Tropical Depression 15, which is expected to become a tropical storm later today and a hurricane over the weekend. The next named storm of the season will be Nigel.
Farther east, a new tropical wave is forecast to move off the coast of Africa by the middle part of next week.
Keep track of Hurricane Lee and its impacts
Bookmark these links to keep track of Hurricane Lee and its effects across New England:
➤ Hurricane Lee trackerHurricane Lee spaghetti models
Here's the latest update from the NHC as of 5 p.m.:
Forecast path: Where is Hurricane Lee going?
On the forecast track, the center of Lee will continue to move farther away from Bermuda and approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
AccuWeather forecasters said they are "highly confident that Hurricane Lee will make landfall from western Nova Scotia to New Brunswick, with an outside chance of landfall as far west as the Maine this weekend."
Hurricane Lee projected path: Lee expected to bring big surf, dangerous currents to US East Coast
Impact of Hurricane Lee on Florida, US East Coast
Hurricane Lee may have moved north of Florida, but its impacts continue to be felt.
"Large swells from distant Hurricane Lee will produce seas 5 to 7 feet near the coast and up to 10 feet well offshore. Conditions will be most hazardous near inlets, especially during the outgoing tide. A small craft advisory remains in effect," according to the National Weather Service Melbourne.
A high risk of numerous life-threatening rip currents continues at all central Florida beaches along the Atlantic coast.
Power outage tracker:Find out how widespread outages are at any given time
Even as the eye of Lee stays to the east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the storm will bring dangerous and damaging conditions to much of eastern New England as well as the Maritime Provinces of Canada as it moves northwestward, according to AccuWeather.
Swells radiating outward from Lee will approach the upper mid-Atlantic and southern coast of New England into the end of the week and will lead to building seas and surf, forecasters said.
Florida impact: Hurricane Lee could cause Florida erosion, follow FSU football to Boston | Forecast
Hurricane Lee impacts: What to expect and when
Hurricane #Lee might be far from the US coast, but its waves and swell energy are sprawling. In addition, tides are already elevated around today's New Moon. pic.twitter.com/0WW7tFhunf
— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) September 14, 2023
Wind: Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch areas in Atlantic Canada on Saturday.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in southern New England late this afternoon andspread northward across the rest of New England within the tropical storm warning area through Saturday.
Tropical storm conditions are expected to spread across the tropical storm warning area inAtlantic Canada tonight and Saturday. These conditions are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages.
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 deepest water will occur along the immediate coast where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Surf: Swells generated by Lee are affecting portions of the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Rainfall: From tonight through Saturday night, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, or 50 to 100 millimeters, in eastern Maine, western Nova Scotia, and portions of NewBrunswick.
Hurricane Lee: Forecast path and how strong is it?
Special note on the NHC cone: The forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Location: 290 miles southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts
Maximum wind speed: 80 mph
Direction: north at 20 mph
At 5 p.m., the center of Hurricane Lee was located near latitude 37.9 North, longitude 66.7 West. Lee is moving north near 20 mph and this motion at a faster forward speed is expected through Saturday.
On the forecast track, the center of Lee will continue to move farther away from Bermuda and approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday. Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday.
Hurricane Lee tracker: Eastern New England bracing for onslaught of rain, winds from Hurricane Lee starting Friday
Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph, with higher gusts. Lee is expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches eastern New England and Atlantic Canada.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 345 miles.
The minimum central pressure is 965 mb, based on data from the NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircrafts.
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Watches and warnings in effect in anticipation of Hurricane Lee's arrival
A hurricane watch is in effect for:
New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau,including Grand Manan Island
Nova Scotia from Digby to Ecum Secum
A tropical storm warning is in effect for:
Westport Massachusetts northward to the U.S./Canada border
Martha's Vineyard
Nantucket
New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence,including Grand Manan Island
New Brunswick from Shediac to Tidnish
Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper
A tropical storm watch is in effect for:
Prince Edward Island
Magdalen Islands
New Brunswick from Belledune to Shediac
Nova Scotia from Tidnish to Aulds Cove
Nova Scotia from Aulds Cove to Meat Cove to Point Tupper
Hurricane Lee maximum sustained winds forecast
Prediction and timing of winds:
12 hours: 80 mph
24 hours: 70 mph
36 hours: 50 mph (post-tropical)
48 hours: 45 mph (post-tropical)
60 hours: 45 mph (post-tropical)
72 hours: 40 mph (post-tropical)
96 hours: dissipated
Spaghetti models for Hurricane Lee
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
Tropical Storm Margot weakening
Location: 615 miles west of the Azores
Maximum sustained winds: 65 mph
Movement: southeast at 3 mph
At 5 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Margot was located near latitude 36.0 North, longitude 37.9 West. Margot is moving toward the southeast near 3 mph, and is expected to make a slow clockwise loop during the next day or two. A faster northeastward motion is forecast by Monday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph, with higher gusts. Some additional weakening is forecast during the next couple of days.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 300 miles from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 990 mb.
Spaghetti models for Tropical Storm Margot
Tropical Depression 15 expected to become hurricane
Location: 1,150 miles east of the Lesser Antilles
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph
Movement: northwest at 13 mph
At 5 p.m., the center of Tropical Depression 15 was located near latitude 15.4 North, longitude 44.0 West. The depression is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next few days.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph, with higher gusts.
Gradual strengthening is forecast, but a faster rate of intensification is predicted later this weekend and early next week. The depression is forecast to become a tropical storm Saturday and could become a hurricane late this weekend or early next week.
What else is out there and how likely are they to strengthen?
Tropical wave: A tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa by the middle part of next week. Some gradual development of this system is possible thereafter while the system moves westward across the eastern tropical Atlantic.
Formation chance through 48 hours: low, near 0 percent.
Formation chance through 7 days: low, 20 percent.
Who is likely to be impacted?
Tropical Storm Margot poses no threat to land.
It's too early at this time to determine if there will be any impact to the U.S. from Tropical Depression 15 or the tropical wave moving off Africa.
Forecasters urge all residents to continue monitoring the tropics and to always be prepared.
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
Tropical forecast over the next seven days
Excessive rainfall forecast
What's out there?
Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center.
Noaa
Embedded content: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/xgtwo/two_atl_0d0.png?052051
What's next?
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: NHC tracking Hurricane Lee, Tropical Depression 15, Margot
