Category 1 Hurricane Lee updates from the National Hurricane Center for Friday, Sep 15

Article first published: Friday, Sep. 15, 2023, 5 a.m. ET

Article last updated: Friday, Sep. 15, 2023, 8 p.m. ET

On Friday at 8 pm, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Category 1 Hurricane Lee is 470 miles south-southwest of Halifax Nova Scotia and 300 miles southeast of Nantucket Massachusetts, with maximum sustained wind of 80 mph. It’s moving 20 mph to the north-northeast.

"... the center of Lee will continue to approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday." forecasters noted. "Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday."

YESTERDAY (Thursday):

Yesterday, Lee lost strength and was downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane to a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour.

Portions of atlantic Canada placed under a tropical storm warning by forecasters.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

- New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island

- Nova Scotia from Digby to Ecum Secum

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

- Westport Massachusetts northward to the U.S./Canada border

- Martha's Vineyard

- Nantucket

- New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island

- New Brunswick from Shediac to Tidnish

- Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

- Prince Edward Island

- Magdalen Islands

- New Brunswick from Belledune to Shediac

- Nova Scotia from Tidnish to Aulds Cove

- Nova Scotia from Aulds Cove to Meat Cove to Point Tupper

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND:

WIND: Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch areas in Atlantic Canada on Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in southern New England within the next few hours and then spread northward across the rest of New England within the Tropical Storm Warning area through Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to spread across the Tropical Storm Warning area in Atlantic Canada tonight and Saturday. These conditions are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages.

SURF: Swells generated by Lee are affecting the northern Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

RAINFALL: Late tonight into Saturday night, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches, or 50 to 125 millimeters over portions of eastern Maine, western Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. This may produce localized urban and small stream flooding.

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...

East of Montauk Point, NY to U.S./Canada border...1-3 ft Cape Cod...1-3 ft Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket...1-3 ft Boston Harbor...1-3 ft Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY...1-2 ft Long Island Sound...1-2 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

A dangerous storm surge will produce coastal flooding within the wind warning areas in Atlantic Canada in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Source: National Hurricane Center

This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 10:06 AM.