Lee no longer forecast to be a Category 2 hurricane. It weakened to a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday

Article first published: Thursday, Sep. 14, 2023, 5 a.m. ET

Article last updated: Thursday, Sep. 14, 2023, 11 p.m. ET

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 pm Thursday advisory, with sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, Lee has downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane to a Category 1 hurricane.

Category 1 Hurricane Lee is 170 miles west-northwest of Bermuda and 590 miles south-southeast of Nantucket Massachusetts, with maximum sustained wind of 85 mph. It’s moving 14 mph to the north. Portions of atlantic Canada under a tropical storm warning, forecasters report.

YESTERDAY (Wednesday):

Yesterday, the Category 3 hurricane Lee weakened into a Category 2 hurricane.

Portions of atlantic Canada placed under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm watch by forecasters.

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Canadian Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island, and a Tropical Storm Warning for the coast of Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

- Stonington, Maine to the U.S./Canada border

- New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island

- Nova Scotia from Digby to Medway Harbour

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

- Bermuda

- Westport Massachusetts northward to the U.S./Canada border

- Martha's Vineyard

- Nantucket

- New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island

- Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

Interests elsewhere in the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada should monitor the progress of Lee.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND:

WIND: Tropical storm conditions will continue on Bermuda through Friday morning. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch areas in Down East Maine and in Atlantic Canada on Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in southern New England on Friday afternoon and spread northward within the Tropical Storm Warning area through Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Tropical Storm Warning area in Atlantic Canada by late Friday into Saturday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...

Flushing, NY to U.S./Canada border...1-3 ft Long Island Sound...1-3 ft Cape Cod...1-3 ft Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket...1-3 ft Boston Harbor...1-3 ft Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY...1-2 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

A dangerous storm surge will produce coastal flooding within the wind warning areas in Atlantic Canada in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

SURF: Swells generated by Lee are affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

RAINFALL: Outer rain bands from Lee may produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches, or 25 to 50 millimeters, across Bermuda overnight and early Friday.

From Friday night through Saturday night, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches, or 25 to 100 millimeters, across portions of eastern New England into portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This may produce localized urban and small stream flooding.

Source: National Hurricane Center

This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 11:02 AM.