Photo: NHC/NOAA / Courtesy
Hurricane Lee grew even larger on Tuesday, causing a tropical storm warning for Bermuda as the cyclone’s possible impacts begin to focus on Bermuda and the east coast of the United States this week, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) report.
Lee, a Category 3 hurricane, was about 515 miles south-southwest of Bermuda on Tuesday night, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, according to the NHC.
The storm has been growing in size since the weekend and hurricane-force winds now extend 125 miles from downtown Lee. Tropical storm-force winds extended 240 miles from its core Tuesday night.
Hurricane Lee began moving north along the east coast of the United States on Tuesday.with the risk of dangerous storm surges and waves.
What are the risks for the United States?
As of Tuesday afternoon, Lee had winds of 115 mph and was moving west-northwest at a virtual pace of just 6 mph. It is expected to turn further north by the middle of this week and the timing of that turn will influence how it will affect the northeastern United States and the Atlantic coast of Canada.
The storm will send large waves to a large area of the East Coast throughout the week as it moves north. This will cause coastal erosion, dangerous waves and life-threatening rip currents on beaches.
They were already taking place dangerous waves along the southeast coast of the US, from Florida to the Carolinas, and a high risk of rip currents was in effect through at least Wednesday night in coastal areas from Florida to Massachusetts.
Dangerous waves and life-threatening rip currents will affect parts of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas,
Bermuda and most of the US East Coast for much of the week.
The current forecast trajectory shows Lee’s center moving toward New Brunswick, Canada, but along the way, Its winds could reach coasts from New York to Maine.
“It is still too early to know what level of additional impacts Lee could have along the northeast coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada later this week,” the NHC said Tuesday.
Hurricane Lee risks during the week
It is expected that Tropical storm conditions, heavy rain and surf impact Bermuda starting Wednesday night or early Thursday, and a tropical storm warning has been issued for the islands.
It is still too early to know what level of additional impacts Lee could have along the northeast coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada this week, as wind and rain hazards will extend well away from the center as Lee grows in size, continue to monitor Lee’s forecast updates over the next few days.
Keep reading:
– Artificial intelligence lists the main risks associated with hurricanes
– Hurricane Lee is now Category 2, but they warn of dangerous currents along the east coast
– Hurricane Lee will create dangerous conditions in the Caribbean islands and the US east coast.