Tropical Storm Lee has formed in the Atlantic and is forecast to “rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous hurricane” by Friday. Image courtesy NOAA
Sept. 5 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Lee approached hurricane strength on Wednesday morning as it was forecast to rapidly intensify into an “extremely dangerous” storm by the weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In its 5 a.m. AST update, the NHC said Lee was located 1,265 miles east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and moving west-northwest at 14 mph.
The storm was carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. A storm is considered a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale when maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph.
“Continued steady to rapid strengthening is forecast and Lee is expected to become a hurricane later today and a major hurricane in a couple of days,” the NHC said.
No storm watches or warnings were in effect as of Wednesday morning, according to NHC, which started monitoring the storm over the weekend.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center of the storm. The NHC said that surf swells generated by Lee are expected to reach parts of the Lesser Antilles on Friday, likely causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Tropical Storm Lee comes less than a week after Hurricane Idalia slammed much of the U.S. Southeast. The deadly hurricane damaged homes and knocked out power in Florida while flooding parts of Georgia and the Carolinas. Idalia is blamed for at least two deaths.