Florida - Monday September 11, 2023: As of Monday morning Lee was still a major Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. The National Hurricane Center believes it could strengthen even more in the next few days, before losing some steam later this week.
Lee continues on a northwest track but it is expected to turn due north by midweek, well off the north American coast.
However swells from the storm are generating hazardous surf and rip currents along Florida's east coast, and similar conditions are expected throughout the eastern seaboard this week. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Swells generated by Lee are affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda and Florida where a high rip current risk is already in effect along the east coast of the peninsula.
Typhoon Lee Summary as of 5 a.m. EST Monday
As of 5 a.m. EST Monday morning, the center of Hurricane Lee was located near latitude 23.1 north and longitude 62.6 west. Lee was moving toward the northwest near 7 mph.
A slow west-northwestward motion is expected during the next couple of days, followed by a gradual turn toward the north by midweek. On the forecast track, Lee is expected to pass well north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico during the next day or two.
Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph with higher gusts. Lee is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some additional strengthening is forecast over the next day or so, followed by gradual weakening.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 75 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 950 millibars of 28.06 inches.
LOCATION: 23.1 north latitude and 62.6 west longitude about 340 miles north of the northern Leeward Islands and about 650 miles south southeast of Bermuda
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS: 120 mph
PRESENT MOVEMENT: northwest or 310 degrees at 7 mph
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE: 950 millibars or 28.06 inches