Hurricane Lee to weaken, expand as it sets sights on Canada
Hurricane Lee inches closer to New England
FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber is keeping an eye on Hurricane Lee as it continues to move through the Atlantic, moving northward toward New England and Canada. Weber is also watching Hurricane Margot and a third tropical wave, Invest 97L, which might become our next named system.
TAMPA, Fla. - The eastern portion of the United States is bracing for the possibility of strong surf and potentially dangerous rip currents from Hurricane Lee as the storm moves north toward New England and southeast Canada.
As of 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Hurricane Lee was located at 27.6 degrees longitude and 67.7 degrees latitude. It had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour and was moving north-northwest at nine miles an hour.
FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg says Hurricane Lee has undergone another eyewall replacement cycle, which keeps the storm from really ramping up.
When it undergoes an eyewall replacement, Osterberg says the storm takes the hurricane-force winds and tropical storm-force winds and expands them. He says hurricane-force winds go out 90 miles from the center of the storm. So while the storm is not expected to get strong, Osterberg says it will get bigger.
Watch: Lee's monstrous eyewall captured by Hurricane Hunters in electric video
He says the computer models show that by Saturday night Hurricane Lee will be an extra tropical storm that is expected to make landfall in southeastern Canada or Maine.
Computer models show Hurricane Lee making landfall in Southeast Canada or Maine over the weekend.
According to Osterberg, it will also hit the Bay of Fundy, which has some of the most extreme tides in the world. When water starts pouring into that area, he says there is a risk for extreme flooding over the weekend.
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Osterberg says the storm will stay west of Bermuda and the biggest impact to the East Coast is the risk of high rip currents.
He is also keeping an eye on Hurricane Margot, which was located at 34.7 degrees longitude and 40.6 degrees latitude on Wednesday evening. It had winds of 90 miles an hour and was moving north-northwest at seven miles an hour.
Hurricane Margot is expected to stay over open water.
Osterberg is also watching a tropical wave that is sliding in between Hurricane Lee and Margot.
He says it has an 80 percent chance of developing over the next week.