The East Coast is on edge as it braces for possible impacts from Hurricane Lee, which is churning ahead as a major Category 4 storm.
The super typhoon weakened slightly on Friday, as forecasters and experts warned its trajectory and potential impact remained uncertain.
The massive storm is about 500 miles north of the Leeward Islands, moving west-northwest at about 13 miles per hour – but is expected to slow over the weekend and into next week.
Winds are gusting at 150 miles per hour — just below the 157 mph threshold for Category 5.
“It’s still a strong major hurricane, and it’s expected to pick up the same estimated strength level for the next five days,” Fox News meteorologist Stephanie van Oppen told The Post on Friday night.
A five-day forecast from the National Hurricane Center has the storm moving slowly northwest between the Bahamas and the eastern US by the middle of next week.
The East Coast is not expected to experience any potential effects such as dangerous wave conditions until after that and is likely to be spared a direct hit from Lee, van Oppen said.
The storm system is expected to finally turn north, possibly on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The massive storm is about 500 miles north of the Leeward Islands, moving west-northwest at about 13 miles per hour – but is expected to slow over the weekend and into next week. FOX Weather
A five-day forecast from the National Hurricane Center has the storm moving slowly northwest between the Bahamas and the eastern US by the middle of next week. FOX Weather
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Lee over the Atlantic Ocean on September 7, 2023. NOAA/GOES/AFP via Getty Images
“There’s a lot of inconsistency in the forecast models about when that northward turn should happen and that will make all the difference for the East Coast – whether we see any direct effects or just coastal wave heights and currents breaking out of the system,” he explained.
“Right now it’s too early to say what could potentially happen to New York or Boston, but it looks like there won’t be any immediate impact,” added van Oppen.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a precautionary warning of potentially life-threatening rip currents and sea surges of between 10 and 15 feet over the weekend along the coast of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Hurricane Lee weakened slightly to a still-major Category 4 storm on Friday while the East Coast is on edge as its trajectory and potential impact remain uncertain.NOAA
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a precautionary warning of potentially life-threatening rip currents and sea surges of between 10 and 15 feet over the weekend along the coast of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. FOX Weather
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed assets to the region, the White House said on Thursday.
There are currently no watches or warnings in effect for any land in the Caribbean, according to Fox Weather.
Lee is expected to miss Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, which are still recovering after Hurricane Idalia hit the Gulf Coast.
The hurricane was quickly upgraded to the first Category 5 hurricane of the season overnight on Thursday with winds reaching 165 miles per hour.
Lee is expected to miss Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, which are still recovering after Hurricane Idalia hit the Gulf Coast.AFP via Getty Images
A flooded backyard in Stenhatchee, Florida on August 30, 2023, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall.AFP via Getty Images
Lee is the 12th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 and peaks in September.
Tropical Storm Margot became the 13th named storm after forming Thursday afternoon about 300 miles off the coast of Cabo Verde in Africa. It is expected to become a hurricane next week.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
