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Hurricane Lee weakens to Category 2

The storm has weakened but could regain strength throughout the week.

Published by
Rosana Rábago Sainz

Hurricane Lee keeps losing momentum, although it could regain strength throughout the week. The storm, which could make it to the east coast of the United States as early as Sunday, has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with winds up to 105 miles per hour.

On Thursday, the National Hurricane Center announced that Lee had become a category 5 storm with winds of up to 160 miles per hour:

On Saturday it went down to category 3, with winds of up to 115 miles per hour. That same day, it dropped down to category 2. However, the National Hurricane Center warned that people should remain vigilant.

"On the forecast track, Lee is expected to pass well north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico into early next week," experts from the center said.

Swells generated by Lee are affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles, and are spreading westward to the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda over the remainder of this weekend. 

The National Hurricane Center also said it wasn’t sure what impact Hurricane Lee could have on the country:

It is way too soon to know what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast, Atlantic Canada, or Bermuda late next week, particularly since the hurricane is expected to slow down considerably over the southwestern Atlantic.

"Dangerous surf and rip currents" in western Atlantic

Although it is unknown whether Hurricane Lee will make landfall, forecasters predict "dangerous surf and rip currents" in the western Atlantic. Specifically, the National Hurricane Center warned of strong waves in the Lesser Antilles this Friday that could extend to the British and United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas and Bermuda this weekend. The NWS said in a press release:

These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to begin along most of the US East Coast beginning Sunday.

The storm will make its way north of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend and is expected to continue through the next week. The hurricane center said that Lee "is forecast to remain a powerful major hurricane well into next week."

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