by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:05 PM ET, Thu September 14, 2023
Update: September 15, 2023 at 8:26 a.m. ET
As Hurricane Lee continues to approach New England and
Atlantic Canada, forecasters have a better idea of the path the storm will take.
Lee is expected to strong winds, rain and coastal flooding far from its center
later Friday into the weekend.
According to Weather.com,
Lee is already producing rip currents and high surf along much of the East
Coast, but is expected to track northward through the waters well off of the
Northeast U.S. coast before moving into Atlantic Canada on Saturday.
Despite the weakened state of the Category 1 hurricane, the
storm’s wind field is very large, which means impacts will extend far outside
the forecasted path.
As a result of the forecasted track of Hurricane Lee,
several major airlines serving the northeastern United States—including
American, Delta, JetBlue and United—have started to issue travel waivers and
waive change fees.
Impacted airports include Bangor, Boston, Manchester, Martha's
Vineyard, Nantucket, Presque Isle, Providence and Portland.
Several cruise lines have also been forced to make itinerary
changes as a result of the storm’s projected path, including Princess Cruises’
Emerald Princess and Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas and
Jewel of the Seas.
Original Text
As Hurricane Lee brings tropical storm conditions as it
passes by Bermuda on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center is projecting the
storm will impact eastern New England and Atlantic Canada by the weekend.
According to Weather.com,
Hurricane Lee is a Category 1 storm making waves due to its massive size, with
tropical storm-force winds extending 310 miles from the center. Wind gusts in
Bermuda have been reported at around 50 miles per hour.
Tracking north, hurricane watches have been issued from
Stonington, Maine, to Point Lepreau, New Brunswick, while tropical storm
warnings have been issued for the coast of Massachusetts from Woods Hole to
Hull, including Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket.
A tropical storm watch is in effect
for much of the rest of New England, including Watch Hill, Rhode Island, to
Woods Hole, Massachusetts; Block Island; and from Hull, Massachusetts, to
Stonington, Maine, according to WCVB.com.
Eastern New England
and Atlantic Canada are preparing for high winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding
that are likely to arrive Friday night before intensifying throughout Saturday,
but exact details won’t be available until the path of Lee becomes clearer.
Several top
airlines in the United States—including American, Delta and JetBlue—have
already issued travel waivers for flights to and from Bermuda impacted by
Hurricane Lee. JetBlue was the first carrier to waive change fees for travelers
heading to or from Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Cruise lines
altered itineraries this week as Hurricane Lee moved through the Atlantic,
including Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Royal
Caribbean International.
Royal Caribbean
also announced that its latest Jewel of the Seas voyage spend the day in
Manhattan instead of Halifax on September 16, with more cruise lines serving
the region expected to make changes if necessary.
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