“Large and dangerous” Hurricane Lee is pivoting and is expected to travel up the US East Coast with life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf conditions in coastal areas.
Tropical storm conditions are expected on Bermuda from Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.
Forecasters believe Lee will make landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada as a tropical storm on Sunday. The risk of powerful winds, coastal flooding and rain are increasing for large parts of New England – Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, southeastern New Hampshire and central and coastal Maine - and Atlantic Canada.
“Interests in the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada should monitor the progress of Lee. Watches may be required for a portion of these areas later today or tonight,” the NHC said on Wednesday.
Swells are also affecting parts of the Lesser Antilles, the British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.
Behind Lee is Hurricane Margot, the fifth hurricane of the 2023 season. Margot is tracking north for now, the NWS reported, but the forecast beyond Friday is “highly uncertain”.