Hurricane Lee was expected to rapidly strengthen and become “a major” storm by early Friday. Image courtesy NOAA
Lee is expect to rapidly strengthen and become “a major hurricane” by early Friday, with swells it generates likely to reach the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by the weekend, forecasters said early Thursday.
In its 5 a.m. EDT Thursday update, the National Hurricane Center located Lee moving west-northwest at 13 mph about 965 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands. Advertisement
The storm was carrying maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. A storm is considered a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale when maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph.
“Rapid intensification is expected to begin later today, and Lee is forecast to become a major hurricane by early Friday,” the NHC said.
No storm watches or warnings were in effect as of Wednesday night, according to NHC, which started monitoring the storm over the weekend. It grew to hurricane strength Wednesday afternoon.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from the center of the storm. The NHC said that surf swells generated by Lee are expected to reach parts of the Lesser Antilles on Friday, likely causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Advertisement
Hurricane Lee comes less than a week after Hurricane Idalia slammed much of the U.S. Southeast. The deadly hurricane damaged homes and knocked out power in Florida while flooding parts of Georgia and the Carolinas. Idalia is blamed for at least two deaths.
