Hurricane Lee Strengthens into Category 3 as Tropical Storm Margot Forms in the Atlantic
As Hurricane Lee gathers strength in the Atlantic, forecasters are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Margot and two other systems with the potential for development.
As of 5 a.m. Monday, Hurricane Lee was located approximately 340 miles north of the Caribbean’s northern Leeward Islands and 650 miles south-southeast of Bermuda. It is moving northwest at a speed of 7 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and higher gusts. The hurricane-force winds extend 75 miles, while tropical-storm-force winds extend 185 miles. The National Hurricane Center predicts a slow west-northwestward motion for the next couple of days, followed by a gradual turn towards the north by midweek. Lee is expected to pass well north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico within the next day or two.
While Bermuda is not currently under threat, it is within the hurricane’s cone of uncertainty. Lee’s waves are also expected to cause dangerous conditions along the U.S. coast, including Florida, as they have already affected areas such as the Lesser Antilles, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, and Bermuda.
The intensity forecast predicts that Hurricane Lee will grow into a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of 160 mph later on Monday. It is expected to remain a major hurricane through Wednesday. Despite its uncertain path, Lee’s wind field could potentially impact Bermuda and threaten the U.S. northeast states or Canada. Forecasters state that it is too soon to determine the level of impact Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada, especially considering the hurricane’s expected considerable slowdown over the southwestern Atlantic.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Margot is moving north over the central subtropical Atlantic. At 5 a.m., Margot’s center was located approximately 1,215 miles northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, moving north at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Margot’s tropical-storm-force winds extend 90 miles. Forecasters predict that Margot will continue its general motion during the next several days and strengthen, potentially becoming a hurricane tonight. If it does, it will become the fifth hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season after Don, Franklin, Idalia, and Lee.
In addition to Hurricane Lee and Tropical Storm Margot, the National Hurricane Center is also monitoring two other systems with the possibility of development. The more likely of the two is a tropical wave in the far eastern tropical Atlantic, which moved off the coast of West Africa on Sunday. Although it is currently producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, environmental conditions appear conducive for its gradual development later in the week. The NHC gives it a 60% chance of forming into a tropical depression by the weekend as it moves westward to west-northwestward.
The second system, located in the eastern tropical Atlantic several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, has limited and disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity. It is becoming increasingly unlikely for this system to develop further before it merges with a tropical wave to its east within the next couple of days. The NHC gives it a 10% chance of formation in the next two to seven days.
So far, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, has produced a total of 13 named storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) increased its prediction for an above-average season in its most recent hurricane forecast updated in August, expecting 14-21 named storms, 6-11 hurricanes, and 2-5 major hurricanes.
As Hurricane Lee continues to strengthen and Tropical Storm Margot develops, it is crucial for residents along the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada to stay informed and prepared for any potential impacts from these storms.