Hurricane Lee continued to churn in the Atlantic Ocean early Friday, lashing the northeastern Caribbean islands as a “dangerous” Category 5 storm – but no longer expected to hit New York.
The first Category 5 hurricane of the Atlantic season was located early Friday about 550 miles from the Lesser Antilles, with sustained winds of up to 165 mph.
“Lee continues to strengthen at an extraordinary rate,” the National Hurricane Center warned.
Life-threatening waves are expected to affect the Caribbean island group late Friday and reach the British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Bermuda by the weekend.
The storm’s winds could intensify further in the coming days, creating large waves and causing erosion on the northern coast of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Fox Weather meteorologist Brian Mastro told The Post earlier Friday.
The massive storm hit the open ocean about 705 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with winds of up to 160 miles per hour as it moved west-northwest. NOAA/GOES/AFP via Getty Images
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed teams to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands in preparation for the hurricane, the White House said. NOAA
“We’re going to see waves between 10 and 15 feet, so we don’t want anyone on the beach,” said Ernesto Morales, with the National Weather Service in San Juan.
Lee is expected to pass well north of all the Caribbean islands and is unlikely to make landfall anywhere in the US, Mastro said. He noted that the only place that has the potential to have a major impact from the storm is Nova Scotia in Atlantic Canada, but not until next weekend.
Lee is the 12th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 and peaks in September.
Large, life-threatening waves are expected to hit the coasts of Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Bermuda this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. AFP via Getty Images
“It’s definitely the strongest so far this season,” Mastro said of the hurricane. “Last year we had one Category 4 [storm], and that’s Ian. So it was a very strong storm.”
Dangerous waves and rip currents were forecast for much of the East Coast starting Sunday, but — contrary to some early forecast models — landfall in New York City reminiscent of deadly Superstorm Sandy is “highly unlikely,” Mastro said.
Lee is expected to “slow significantly” by the time it reaches the region, the National Hurricane Center also said.
Dangerous waves and rip currents will affect much of the US East Coast starting Sunday more than a week after Hurricane Idalia hit the US, flooding many cities in Florida. AFP via Getty Images
“Most likely, the only impact we’ll see here is increased waves, and beach erosion by the middle of next week,” Fox Weather forecaster said of the Big Apple and surrounding area.
President Biden on Thursday was given the latest trajectory of the hurricane and details of preparations underway by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is deploying unidentified assets to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, according to the White House.
Tropical Storm Margot, meanwhile, became the 13th storm to be named after forming Thursday afternoon. It is located about 290 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. It has winds of up to 40 mph and is forecast to become a hurricane this weekend.
It is moving west-northwest at 17 mph and is expected to linger over open water.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in August predicted between 14 and 21 named storms this season, with six to 11 of them expected to become hurricanes, and of those, two to five may develop into major hurricanes.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
