NEW YORK.- Hurricane Lee, which formed Tuesday afternoon and is currently in the center of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, will move toward an area of the ocean where water temperatures are very warm and weather conditions are conducive to development. fast and explosive in the next few days, creating potential danger for the east coast of the United States.
Lee strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday afternoon. Lee, and the forecast for the National Hurricane Center shows it will strengthen into a monster Category 4 hurricane by Saturday, with 150 mph winds.
The storm could even reach Category 5, with winds of 156 mph or higher, given the high sea surface temperatures in the region, as readings in that part of the Atlantic have been hovering around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Forecast models have varied on the storm’s track: Sunday night suggested an impact in the US East Coast region; then on Monday they were pointing towards the ocean, but as of Wednesday the track is much closer to the east coast.
Forecasts Alert East Coast for Effects of Hurricane Lee
The European model, known as ECMWF, indicates that Lee will remain at sea and will not make direct landfall, but will be very close to the United States coast.
On the other hand, the American GFS model has Lee skimming Cape Cod and then heading towards the Canadian Maritimes.
Although it is too soon to establish reliable forecasts, whatever the trajectory, it must be carefully monitored.
The presence of a trough at higher levels will determine Lee’s final trajectory. If the trough sets further east, Lee will move out into the Atlantic, as is often the case, while if the trough sets further west, Lee could head directly inland, as happened with Superstorm Sandy.
This last scenario is not very common, but it cannot be ruled out at this time and next week would be the time frame for this potential event.
Regardless of whether Lee makes landfall or not, the effect will be felt in the form of dangerous rip currents, high surf, and beach erosion, as occurred in the past week when Hurricane Franklin and Tropical Storms Idalia, Gert, Jose, and Katia They were simultaneously at sea.
A relatively slow-starting hurricane season
Hurricane season, which got off to a relatively slow start, has suddenly sprung to life in the Atlantic basin in recent weeks.
Although most of the storms have remained over the open ocean, Category 3 Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida last week, reminding us that we are in full swing of the season.
Late August and early October is when tropical cyclone activity peaks, with September 10 as the peak date.
At one point late last week, there were five named storms swirling in the Atlantic.
And so, we have a new named storm that could pose a considerable threat.
Sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic Basin have been well above average this year and in multiple locations have broken all-time records.
Despite the development of the weather pattern known as El Niño, which often suppresses hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin, the National Hurricane Center has recently updated its forecast for the number of named storms this year.
The original forecast had called for a total of 17 named storms, which was already above the seasonal average of 14. The updated forecast is now for 21 named storms.
The warm water temperatures in the sea are certainly part of what led the hurricane center to increase its numbers.
Lee is the 13th named storm this year, bringing us very close to the seasonal average so far.
Behind Lee are two tropical waves that will likely be named sometime in the next week: They would be Margot and Nigel. If they all develop together, we’ll have tropical triplets.
Hurricane season runs through November 30, which means we still have a long way to go before we can let our guard down.
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1/10
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2/10
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3/10
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4/10
Satellite images show how Hurricane Idalia gains strength as it passes through the Gulf. Follow the latest news and the trajectory of Hurricane Idalia in Florida live.
5/10
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6/10
In Crystal, Florida, residents struggle to remove water and debris left behind by Hurricane Idalia.
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7/10
Heavy rains and storm surges around Idalia have caused flooded streets and displaced families in Tampa. Firefighters rescued several people who were left in the middle of the water current. Follow the latest news and the trajectory of Hurricane Idalia in Florida live.
8/10
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9/10
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10/10
Some roads have been closed after being almost completely flooded after the passage of Hurricane Idalia.
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2023-09-07 21:06:29
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