At 11:00 AM, the center of Hurricane Lee was located near latitude 18.2 North, longitude 54.5 West. Lee is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue through early next week with a significant decrease in forward speed. Image: NHC

Lee was located about 630 miles or 1015 km east of the Northern Leeward Islands and is packing maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h). Photo: Zoom Earth

Hurricane Lee is expected to pass well to the north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend and into early next week. Photo: NHC

Lee’s forecast track has not changed much and is still projected to stay clear of Florida and the Caribbean islands.

At 11:00 AM, the center of Hurricane Lee was located near latitude 18.2 North, longitude 54.5 West. Lee is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h)  and this motion is expected to continue through early next week with a significant decrease in forward speed.

See previous article published September 8, 2023

Hurricane Lee now ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 5 storm

Hurricane Lee rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm on Thursday night, September 7, 2023, as it spun towards the Caribbean islands with “life-threatening” conditions expected to develop in the coming days.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its 5:00 AM advisory today, September 8, 2023, that additional strengthening is forecast today. Fluctuations in intensity are likely over the next few days, but Lee is expected to remain a major hurricane through early next week.

Lee is moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph (22 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue through early next week with a significant decrease in forward speed.

Lee was located about 630 miles or 1015 km east of the Northern Leeward Islands and is packing maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h).

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 926 mb (27.35 inches).

‘Monster hurricane’ expected to pass north of VI

Forecasters say Lee could become a “monster 180 mph” storm by Friday morning.

It is; however, expected to pass well to the north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend and into early next week, the NHC said.

The NHC has warned that dangerous beach conditions were expected to develop around the western Atlantic through early next week.

Lee is the 12th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.