Update: September 11, 2023 at 10:46 a.m. ET
Hurricane Lee weakened significantly on Saturday from its
maximum strength as a Category 5, but restrengthened back into a major Category
3 hurricane late Sunday and remained at that intensity on Monday, according to National
Hurricane Center.
Weather.com
experts tracking the storm said Hurricane Lee will begin to move northward in
the Atlantic Ocean later this week, bringing rain, wind and coastal flooding to
Bermuda, Atlantic Canada and eastern New England, but the forecast remains
uncertain.
While airlines have yet to start issuing travel waivers as
they wait to see if and where the storm is expected to make landfall, cruise
lines serving the Caribbean have been forced to alter itineraries and will
continue to do so as Hurricane Lee cuts through the region.
Impacted cruise lines include Carnival Cruise Line, Royal
Caribbean International and Disney Cruise Line.
UPDATE: Friday, September 8 at 5:15 p.m. ET
Hurricane Lee weakened slightly on Friday but remains a powerful Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph as it tracks westward about 550 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.
For now, it's still early to know if and where Lee could make landfall in the Caribbean and mainland U.S.
UPDATE: Friday, September 8 at 8:15 a.m. ET
Hurricane Lee is currently a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph as it tracks westward toward the Caribbean.
"Additional strengthening is forecast today. Fluctuations in intensity are likely over the next few days, but Lee is expected to remain a major hurricane through early next week," the National Hurricane Center said in an early morning update.
It's still too early to know Lee's exact track as there are several steering factors that could send it out to sea or bring it closer to the mainland U.S., Bermuda and other destinations.
Hurricane Lee could potentially wreak havoc on shoulder season travel in the Caribbean and Southeastern United States in the coming days as it rapidly intensified Thursday and developed into a major Category 5 storm, the National Hurricane Center said.
The Category 5 storm now has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and forecasters are growing more confident that the center of the storm will pass to the north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as early as this weekend and into early next week.
Tropical storm conditions are possible for some of those island destinations over the weekend.
The British and U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Bermuda could see significant swells from Lee in the coming days, resulting in life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, experts warn.
It's too soon to know whether Lee will snarl travel or significantly impact the mainland U.S. At this point, airlines have yet to issue travel waivers but travelers are always encouraged to check their flight status with their airline prior to arriving at the airport.
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