Hurricane Lee: Potential Effects on New England

On Tuesday, Hurricane Lee continued to chug across the open Atlantic Ocean on a path that would likely lead it near Canada during the weekend. 

New England may be affected by the weak storm's effects, and the East Coast should expect severe rip currents and rough surf.

The hurricane, which had 115 mph gusts and remained a Category 3 major hurricane Tuesday evening, was situated 535 miles south of Bermuda.

Bermuda has received a tropical storm watch, indicating that tropical storm conditions might develop there during the next two days.

In its 5 p.m. report, the National Hurricane Center stated that Lee was "a very large hurricane" that was "growing in size." 

There are currently 125 miles of hurricane-force winds and 240 miles of tropical storm-force winds from the center.

Hurricane Lee

Meteorologist Ryan Maue wrote on X that the hurricane center has "adjusted the track, intensity, and structure of Hurricane Lee to suggest landfall in Nova Scotia prior to completion of extratropical transition." 

If Lee is classified as post-tropical or not, he continued, "the wind field with hurricane-force gusts will probably extend across coastal New England."

The hurricane is forecast to make landfall this weekend in Nova Scotia, Canada.

However, any waver in the path caused by non-tropical weather systems could pull the hurricane toward New England to the west or further east toward Newfoundland and Labrador to the east," said AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

In US, the hurricane center and National Weather Service offices along the coast said that even while the substantial winds are forecast to remain offshore for most of the U.S. coast, rip currents and hazardous surf are anticipated. 

The weather service reported on Monday that larger waves and rip currents had already started to hit East Coast beaches and that this is only anticipated to become worse.

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