Lee now a category 4 major hurricane. What it means for Bucks County
Lee is now a category 4 major hurricane as it churns across the Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center said late Thursday afternoon.
Its sustained windspeed as of 5 p.m.. was 130 miles per hour, as it moved across the Atlantic Ocean in a west-northwest direction at 15 miles per hour.
But the severe thunderstorm watch posted for most of Eastern Pennsylvania, including Bucks County, Thursday afternoon is due to storms moving in from Western Pennsylvania. They won't cool us off much tonight.
Expect the hot, humid air to return again Friday before stormy weekend weather arrives and finally brings an end to the unusual September heat wave of the past few days. Temperatures Saturday are supposed to be in mid to upper 80s and in the low 80s on Sunday.
"Unfortunately, most of the weekend will be wet," said Meteorologist Joe DeSilva at the National Weather Service in Westampton, New Jersey.
DeSilva said the weather service won't be able to determine Lee's impact on the United States for a few days as it is still far out at sea.
Lee will continue to track toward the East Coast over the weekend as it moves north of the Leeward and Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, creating swells and dangerous rip currents for waters off the islands as it heads toward the Bahamas.
Whether it strikes the East Coast of the United States or turns back out to sea is yet to be determined, but the National Weather Service in Mount Holly warns that the swells and rip currents also will still affect the East Coast even if the storm turns away.
Lee to strengthen in next few days
According to the latest information provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Lee is currently near the Northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Lee's impact on Bucks County
With Lee at least days away from reaching the East Coast, meteorologists have said it is hard to predict any impact this storm will have on Bucks County.
Will Tropical Storm Lee hit Jersey? Will South Jersey get a visit from Hurricane Lee? "It's just too early to know"
Sarah Johnson, of the National Weather Service, said Tuesday it was too early to predict if and when Lee would impact Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
"It won't have any impact outside of rip currents, which won't happen until early next week," Johnson said. "Early suggestions are that it will probably stay off shore and off the coast. So far, it's hard to tell with any certainty."
Other national reports focus on two models — the European Model and the Global Forecast System. Both models also show the possibility of Lee missing the East Coast altogether.
Most meteorologists are in agreement that Lee will eventually turn north and out to the Atlantic Ocean, and are now focused on predicting when the storm may make that turn.
In the meantime, Bucks County will take a damp turn this weekend as Lee strengthens.
According to Weather.com, while temperatures will reach 94 degrees on Thursday, thunderstorms are slated to move in on Friday evening, with temps around 92.
Thunderstorms are also expected throughout the day Saturday and Sunday.
Temps will reach 89 degrees on Saturday, and 83 degrees on Sunday.
TikTok tracking Hurricane Lee
As the potential storm continues to be tracked, many TikTok users, many of whom are not meteorologists, have been racking up views with their predictions and compilations of weather graphs and models.
The hype around this low-pressure area and the potential hurricane it could evolve into has caused concerns and flashbacks online reminiscing on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy which rocked the east coast in October of 2012.
Meteorologists encouraged people who may be worried about the storm system to listen to professionals and find news outlets that they trust to stay up to date with the most accurate information.
ABC Action News's Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips took to TikTok to provide an update on Invest 95 L, which could evolve into Hurricane Lee and quell some of the concern stirred up by worried posters.
"It's so far out. It's just too early to know for sure," Philips said under a model of the interest point while explaining the potential ways the storm could develop.
Recent history of storms in Bucks County
Bucks County is no stranger to destructive storms.
On July 15, six inches of rain fell in just two hours. The water in Houghs Creek rose so quickly, overcoming its banks and spilling onto a nearby road.
Remembering the fatal flood victims: Remembering the seven lives lost in July 15, 2023 Upper Makefield fatal flood
A dozen people needed to be rescued as their cars were caught adrift. Within a day, crews had recovered the bodies of five victims; a sixth was found a week later and the body of the seventh victim, 2-year-old Matilda "Mattie" Sheils, was found along the Delaware River in Philadelphia in late July.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Lee has strengthened into a strong hurricane. NWS warns of rough seas
