TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Hurricane Center continued to monitor Hurricane Lee, Hurricane Margot, and a disturbance in the eastern tropical Atlantic on Wednesday.
Hurricane Lee
Portions of New England and Atlantic Canada were placed under hurricane and tropical storm watches on Wednesday. A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect for Bermuda, as Hurricane Lee is expected to pass west of the island on Thursday.
According to the NHC, Lee is located about 345 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane.
Lee turned north-northwest Wednesday and is expected to make a northward turn and increase its speed on Thursday and Friday. The storm is forecast to approach the coast of New England or Atlantic Canada late this week.
Slow weakening is forecast during the next few days,” NHC forecasters said. “However, Lee is likely to remain a very large and dangerous hurricane into the weekend.”
The NHC said swells generated by Lee are affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.
“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC said.
Dangerous surf and rip currents are also affecting portions of the southeastern U.S. The conditions are forecast to spread northward along much of the U.S. East Coast and Canada over the next few days.
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
- Stonington, ME to the U.S./Canada border
- New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau,
including Grand Manan Island - Nova Scotia from Digby to Medway Harbour
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
- Bermuda
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
- Watch Hill, RI to Stonington, ME
- Block Island
- Martha’s Vineyard
- Nantucket
- New Brunswick from north of Point Lepreau to Fort Lawrence
- Nova Scotia west coast from north of Digby to Fort Lawrence
- Nova Scotia southeast coast from north of Medway Harbour to
Porter’s Lake
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for…
- Cape Cod Bay
Hurricane Margot
Hurricane Margot is currently a Category 1 hurricane, located about 790 miles west-southwest of the Azores. The storm is moving toward the north at 7 mph.
Forecasters said Margot is expected to slow down Thursday. The storm will likely stall or meander within weak steering currents into the weekend and steadily become weaker, the NHC said.
Margot’s maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph, with higher gusts.
Swells generated by Margot will continue to impact the Azores over the next few days. The swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Area of interest
Meteorologists are also monitoring a disturbance in the eastern tropical Atlantic with a high chance of development. The broad area of low pressure continues to produce showers and thunderstorms that are becoming better organized, the NHC said.
Forecasters said the system is likely to become a tropical depression by this weekend as it nears the central tropical Atlantic.
It has an 80% chance of formation over the next two days and a 90% chance of formation over the next seven days.
