BWS: Tropical Storm Warning In Effect
A Tropical Storm Warning in effect, with the Bermuda Weather Service saying Hurricane Lee is a “potential threat to Bermuda”, with its closest point of approach to Bermuda within 72 hours forecast to be 165 nm to the west at 1.00am on Friday [Sept 15], with the BWS noting that “this system may move closer to Bermuda after this time period depending upon its track.”
In an online post, BWS said, “Hurricane Lee’s track and timing has remained fairly consistent over the past few advisories giving higher confidence that no significant changes will take place. We can expect tropical storm force winds [34+ knots] to arrive mid-morning on Thursday.
“These winds and gusts will increase towards evening and we expect that the western marine area and any elevated and exposed places to experience the strongest winds, up to 50 knots, and highest gusts, up to 65 knots, Thursday evening through the overnight.
“Winds and gusts will begin to decrease by dawn on Friday and tropical storm conditions are expected to completely move away from the area mid-afternoon on Friday. Lee is a very large storm with a very wide wind field hence we will be in the tropical storm force conditions for over 24 hours. Be safe and stay up to date at www.weather.bm.”
Graphic courtesy of the BWS:
The latest forecast from the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, “At 800 AM AST [1200 UTC], the center of Hurricane Lee was located near latitude 26.0 North, longitude 67.2 West. Lee is moving toward the northwest near 6 mph [9 km/h]. A turn toward the north-northwest is expected later today, followed by a northward turn and an increase in speed on Thursday and Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda Thursday and Thursday night and then approach the coast of New England or Atlantic Canada late this week.
“Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph [185 km/h] with higher gusts. Lee is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Slow weakening is forecast during the next few days, however, Lee is likely to remain a large and dangerous hurricane into the weekend.
“Lee is a very large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles [185 km] from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 240 miles [390 km]. The estimated minimum central pressure is 948 mb [28.00 inches].”
Graphic courtesy of the NHC:
