Hurricane Lee is rapidly intensifying as it heads toward the East Coast, and experts are worried.
Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer said Thursday morning that those living on the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada — all the way up north through the Atlantic to Newfoundland — need to watch the chilling satellite imagery of Hurricane Lee rapidly gaining strength. “First light shows textbook eye formation of visible satellite,” Reed told followers. “Likely a category 5 in the making.”
Lee is anticipated to become a major storm by Friday, despite already being pretty darn close, according to the National Hurricane Center. At present, the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are in the storm’s path. Swells could reach parts of the Lesser Antilles by Friday, and the Bahamas and Bermuda by the weekend.
Rapid intensification in progress with Hurricane Lee! First light shows textbook eye formation on visible satellite. Likely a category 5 in the making. We’ll all be watching satellite imagery and the forecast models all weekend. US East Coast through Newfoundland needs to watch… pic.twitter.com/Pq5RuZqGiE
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerAccu) September 7, 2023
Life-threatening swells and rip-currents are expected. And ongoing monitoring will track the current trajectory. While Lee is not expected to hit the U.S., according to CBS News, this could change literally overnight. (RELATED: Before-And-After Photos From Hurricane Idalia Are Mind-Blowing)
Lee is the second rapidly-developing hurricane currently heading toward the U.S. In the Pacific, Hurricane Jova grew from a small tropical storm to a cat. 5 catastrophe on Thursday morning, but it is hoped it will dissipate in the coming days before it hits Hawaii.