Tropical storm warning issued for Bermuda as Hurricane Lee targets New England
It’s still too early to determine exactly where Hurricane Lee will make landfall, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that the storm will bring rain, wind and large waves to New England. The extent of course depends on how close the system is to the coast.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for Bermuda as powerful Hurricane Lee continues to rage in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the once-severe Category 5 hurricane prepares for a northward turn that millions of people in New England will need to begin bracing for possible Prepare for impacts, including possible tropical storm-force winds, dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents.
According to the latest warning from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Lee is not expected to make landfall in the USA; instead, the forecast assumes that Lee will hit Canada. But on Monday, land was included in Lee’s forecast cone for the first time in the storm’s history.
Boston was included in the forecast cone on Monday, but the forecast has since been updated, leaving Cape Cod and Nantucket, Massachusetts and most of the state of Maine in the cone.
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Forecasters expect Hurricane Lee to continue to weaken as it approaches New England and becomes extratropical. So for New England residents, the potential impacts will be more similar to a winter nor’easter than a landfalling hurricane.
An extratropical cyclone is a system that has lost its tropical characteristics. The storm’s energy source is converted from the release of energy from the latent heat of condensation (rising air from warm seawater) to the collision between warm and cold air masses.
A satellite image of Hurricane Lee on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. (NOAA)
“For residents across New England, I would think more of a nor’easter effect because that’s what we’re going to see,” said FOX weather meteorologist Britta Merwin. “But because of the positioning, not everyone in the Northeast will see something fall from the sky. I mean, New York will probably have a nice day on Saturday. But the coastal areas of Massachusetts and Maine could be close enough.” Get a little taste of maybe some rain.
And there’s a chance these areas could experience tropical storm-force winds of 40 miles per hour or more.
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Hurricane Lee is slowing before finally turning north later this week
Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, joined FOX Weather Monday morning to explain the latest information on Hurricane Lee and break down the potential impact on the U.S. East Coast.
“You definitely have the potential for winds here,” Merwin continued. “Twenty to 40% chance of tropical storm force winds extending from the Cape to the coast of Maine.”
Additionally, large waves will crash against the coast, bringing with it the risk of beach erosion and coastal flooding.
These conditions are also likely to prompt curious residents and visitors to head to the beach to see what Lee might do to the shoreline, but staying away from the water is recommended.
“I’m all about looking, right? I mean, I love watching big waves,” Merwin said. “My family will be watching it this weekend too. But you have to do it safely.”
Where is Hurricane Lee?
According to the latest NHC bulletin, Hurricane Lee is located about 555 miles south of Bermuda and is moving west-northwest at 6 miles per hour and had maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, making it a Saffir-Simpson Category 3 hurricane -Hurricane winds make scale.
What is the forecast for Hurricane Lee?
The forecast path for Hurricane Lee. (FOX Weather)
The NHC says Hurricane Lee will continue its slow west-northwestward movement over the next day or so before beginning a northward turn by midweek. On this route, Lee is expected to pass close to, but west of, Bermuda.
The storm is then expected to continue well north off the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts for the remainder of the week, reaching Nova Scotia on Sunday morning.
What watches or warnings are in effect due to Hurricane Lee?
A tropical storm warning has been issued for Bermuda and will remain in effect until further notice, according to the NHC.
A tropical storm watch means tropical storm-force winds (sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour) are possible within 48 hours. These winds may also be accompanied by storm surge, coastal flooding, and/or river flooding.
Additionally, the NHC said interests in the Northeast and New England, as well as Atlantic Canada, should continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Lee.
What impact will Lee have on the East Coast of New England?
Hurricane Lee is expected to gain momentum as it turns northward, with the storm’s wind field expected to increase in size as it does so.
The FOX Forecast Center expects Lee’s wind field to extend more than 550 miles wide, which would have widespread impacts across New England.
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As Lee makes his move, winds could blow across eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Provincetown and Eastham could experience wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour Saturday afternoon. Barnstable could see wind gusts of 70 to 80 mph, while Harwich saw gusts of 60 mph.
“Lee will experience an extratropical transition where it becomes less like a hurricane and more like a nor’easter that people in New England are familiar with during the colder time of year,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center FOX weather on Monday. “So these can also be violent storms. Just because it doesn’t look like a classic hurricane – nothing that gets to that latitude will look like a classic hurricane. It will move quickly, and that is what happens. “Hazards that extend hundreds of miles from the center, regardless of the center’s track.”
People in New England still have a few days to prepare for possible impacts Lee will have on the region, but time is running out.
And while potential impacts are being seen in all parts of New England, residents of coastal Massachusetts as well as those living in Maine should pay attention to Lee’s progress and prepare an action plan.