Tropical Storm Update: Hurricane Lee downgraded to Category 3 storm as US impacts still ‘too early to know’: Live

I had the first Category 5 hurricane of the Atlantic season this year when it quickly grew to Category 1 status within 24 hours this week. There have been seven other Category 5 Atlantic storms since 2016, including one – Michael – that made landfall in the United States in 2018.

Within 24 hours, Hurricane Lee intensified from Category 1 at 80 mph to Category 5 with winds of 160 mph, making it likely the fastest intensifying Atlantic storm on record.

Lee has since weakened to a Cat 3 storm and is expected to maintain strength through the weekend.

Hurricane Lee is “maintaining strength” as a recently downgraded Category 3 storm as it moves across the Atlanta vicinity with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph with higher gusts, according to the latest advisories from the National Hurricane Center.

“Little change in strength is expected today, but a gradual recovery is expected on Sunday and Monday.” According to the consultation.

For the first time ever, Category 5 storms formed in every tropical ocean basin within a single year.

Lee, which has since been downgraded to Category 3 as it moves along the open Atlantic, accelerated from Category 1 strength to Category 5 this week.

“I think it’s reasonable to assume that abnormally warm ocean temperatures around the world made this more likely to happen,” University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy said. Tell Washington Post. “It gives everything a boost.”

Hurricane Lee intensified into a Category 5 storm within 24 hours this week, but has been downgraded to Category 3 and is likely to lose strength over the course of the day as it experiences wind shear.

The National Hurricane Center continues to stress that it is still “too early” to know what impacts, if any, the storm could have along the East Coast of the United States, and the storm could gain strength as it continues to move with sustained winds at 115 mph as of Saturday morning.

Dangerous and life-threatening rip currents are affecting parts of the Leeward Islands, according to the NHC. These conditions are expected to affect parts of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas and Bermuda over the weekend.

Some forecast models suggest Hurricane Lee could graze the East Coast of the United States — but the jury is still out.

“Regardless, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along much of the U.S. East Coast beginning Sunday,” the National Hurricane Center warned.

Lee is expected to continue to strengthen, with wind speeds reaching 180 mph (290 km/h).

Only seven Atlantic hurricanes have had winds of that size since 1966, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Among those disasters is Hurricane Dorian, which struck the northern Bahamas in 2019 as a Category 5 storm, hovering over the small islands for nearly two days.

Lee is expected to continue to strengthen, with wind speeds reaching 180 mph (290 km/h).

Only seven Atlantic hurricanes have had winds of that size since 1966, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Among those disasters is Hurricane Dorian, which struck the northern Bahamas in 2019 as a Category 5 storm, hovering over the small islands for nearly two days.

“We’re going to see 10- to 15-foot waves, so we don’t want anyone on the beaches.”