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Hurricane Lee (2023)

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Hurricane Lee
Satellite image of Hurricane Lee
Satellite image
 Forecast map for Hurricane Lee
Forecast map
Part of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Lee is a powerful Cape Verde hurricane currently active in the Atlantic Ocean. The thirteenth named storm, fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, Lee formed from a tropical wave near Cabo Verde. It rapidly strengthened after formation and became a Category 5 hurricane on September 7. After being weakened by strong wind shear and also undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle, Lee is presently located north of the northern Leeward Islands as a Category 3 hurricane.

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
Map key
Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began to monitor a tropical wave over West Africa early on September 1.[1] The wave moved offshore into the tropical Atlantic Ocean on September 2,[2] producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity, and began to gradually organize. An area of low pressure formed from the wave two days later to the west-southwest of Cabo Verde.[3] On September 5, the low became more organized, with multiple low-level bands developing and the formation of a well-defined center. Consequently, advisories were initiated on Tropical Depression Thirteen at 15:00 UTC that day.[4] Amid favorable conditions for intensification, which included warm sea surface temperatures, moderate wind shear, and moderate mid-level relative humidity,[5] the depression quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Lee within a few hours.[6] Lee tracked west-northwestward, steered by a mid-level ridge located to its north, and continued to intensify as it became better organized, with increased convective banding, development of a central dense overcast, and formation of a ragged eye, evident in visible satellite imagery by the following afternoon. By 21:00 UTC on September 6, the system strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane[7] while located far to the east of the Northern Leeward Islands.[8] Explosive intensification began the next day, with Lee reaching Category 2 strength at 15:00 UTC,[9] before reaching Category 4 strength at 21:00 UTC.[10] A few hours later, a hurricane hunters mission into the storm found that it had reached Category 5 strength, and possessed a clear 17 mi-wide (28 km) eye surrounded by convective cloud tops with temperatures as low as −105 °F (−76 °C).[11] By 06:00 UTC on September 8, Lee's maximum sustained winds reached 165 mph (270 km/h), an increase of 85 mph (140 km/h) in 24 hours, making it the third‑fastest intensifying Atlantic hurricane on record, behind only Felix in 2007 and Wilma in 2005.[12] During this same time period, the hurricane's minimum barometric pressure fell to 926 mbar (27.34 inHg).[13]

Several hours later, however, an increase of southwesterly wind shear caused Lee's eye to become cloud filled and the storm to become more asymmetric.[14] Lee then rapidly weakened to a low-end Category 3 hurricane by early on September 9.[15] Later that day, data from an evening hurricane hunters mission into the storm revealed that Lee was undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle and still being adversely affected by modest vertical wind shear; also observed were peak flight-level winds that were down from an earlier mission. As a result of these findings, the hurricane was downgraded to Category 2 at 03:00 UTC on September 10.[16] Afterwards, as the system was completing its eyewall replacement cycle, the wind shear began to abate, which permitted the new, larger-diameter eye to contract and to grow more symmetric; as a result, Lee intensified to Category 3 strength once again that same day.[17]

Current storm information

As of 11:00 a.m. AST (21:00 UTC) September 11, Hurricane Lee is located within 10 nautical miles of 23°30′N 63°30′W / 23.5°N 63.5°W / 23.5; -63.5 (Lee), about 350 miles (565 km) northwest of the northern Leeward Islands. Maximum sustained winds are 120 mph (195 km/h), with gusts up to 140 mph (220 km/h). The minimum barometric pressure is 948 mbar (27.99 inHg), and the system is moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 km/h). Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles (65 km) and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (300 km) from the center.

For the latest official information, see:

Preparations

Caribbean

A tropical cyclone alert was in effect for the Leeward Islands and the British Virgin Islands on September 7–8.[18][19] Additionally, a 5‑day high surf warning was issued for the British Virgin Islands on September 8.[20]

On September 7, the United States federal government deployed food, water, and rapid response teams to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.[21] A high surf warning was also issued for both territories.[22]

See also


References

  1. ^ Reinhart, Brad (September 1, 2023). Tropical Weather Outlook (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Roberts, Dave (September 2, 2023). Tropical Weather Outlook (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Blake, Eric (September 4, 2023). Tropical Weather Outlook (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  4. ^ Blake, Eric (September 5, 2023). Tropical Depression Thirteen Discussion Number 1 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  5. ^ Masters, Jeff; Henson, Bob (September 5, 2023). "Tropical Depression 13 poised to become a powerful hurricane". New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  6. ^ Blake, Eric (September 5, 2023). Tropical Storm Lee Discussion Number 2 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  7. ^ Brown, Daniel (September 6, 2023). Hurricane Lee Discussion Number 6 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Brown, Daniel (September 6, 2023). Hurricane Lee Advisory Number 6 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Zelinsky, David (September 7, 2023). Hurricane Lee Advisory Number 9 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  10. ^ Zelinsky, David (September 7, 2023). Hurricane Lee Advisory Number 10 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  11. ^ Berg, Robbie (September 7, 2023). Hurricane Lee Discussion Number 11 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  12. ^ Masters, Jeff; Henson, Bob (September 8, 2023). "Hurricane Lee peaks as a Cat 5 with 165-mph winds". New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Cangialosi, John (September 8, 2023). Hurricane Lee Advisory Number 12 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  14. ^ Brown, Daniel (September 8, 2023). "Hurricane Lee Discussion Number 13". Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  15. ^ "Hurricane Lee Discussion Number 15". www.nhc.noaa.gov. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  16. ^ Papin, Philippe (September 9, 2023). Hurricane Lee Discussion Number 19 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  17. ^ Brown, Daniel (September 10, 2023). Hurricane Lee Discussion Number 22 (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  18. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Alert". Tortola, British Virgin Islands: BVI Department of Disaster Management. September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  19. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Alert Discontinued". Tortola, British Virgin Islands: BVI Department of Disaster Management. September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  20. ^ "High Surf Warning for the Virgin Islands". Tortola, British Virgin Islands: BVI Department of Disaster Management. September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  21. ^ Pulver, Dinah Voyles; Rice, Doyle; Santucci, Jeanine (September 8, 2023). "Hurricane Lee to pose 'extreme' risk at East Coast beaches; NHC says too soon to know path". USA Today. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Hurricane Lee generates big swells along northern Caribbean while it churns through open waters". Associated Press. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
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