Tropical Storm Lee is approaching hurricane strength and is anticipated to rapidly escalate into an "extremely dangerous major hurricane" by Saturday, as projected by the National Hurricane Center.
On Tuesday, this tropical storm developed in the Caribbean Sea roughly 1,300 miles to the east of the Lesser Antilles. Although no severe weather is anticipated, Lee is forecast to move north of Puerto Rico throughout the following weekend, causing higher surf and rip currents in the Caribbean.
Lee is expected to turn northward the following week and intensify into a powerful hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 150 mph, making it a Category 4 storm.
Although the United States is not currently under danger, Bermuda should keep an eye out for any potential effects of this powerful hurricane. The majority of forecasting models predict that Lee will hit Bermuda the following week before continuing to track north, parallel to the eastern U.S. coastline. There is therefore a chance of dangerous rip currents and very high waves along the East Coast in the later part of the following week.
What is the projected path of Tropical Storm Lee?
The National Hurricane Centre reports that as of Wednesday morning, Tropical Storm Lee is moving towards the north-northwest at a speed of roughly 16 miles per hour. It is anticipated that this trajectory will continue, with a minor decrease in forward speed.
During the approaching weekend, Lee is expected to pass close to the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. The Leeward Islands, which include the U.S. Virgin Islands and are located at the meeting point of the Caribbean Sea and the western Atlantic Ocean, could be affected by the storm. The NHC warned that the region might experience swells produced by the storm, resulting in "life-threatening" surf conditions and rip currents, therefore the Lesser Antilles Islands might also experience effects.
Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Leeward Islands could experience tropical storm-force winds this weekend. The Hurricane Center reports that no coastal watches or warnings are currently in place, but it does encourage residents of the Leeward Islands to keep a close eye on this system's development.
According to The Weather Channel, the most likely outcome is that Lee will veer far enough north to affect the northern Leeward Islands only marginally, bringing gusty gusts and rains. A further southern trajectory, however, cannot be completely ruled out and may conceivably push Lee closer to or directly through the islands, with more significant repercussions.
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