Tropical Storm Lee formed Tuesday evening in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
As of Wednesday morning, Lee is already a strong tropical storm, moving west northwest at 14 mph.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts Lee to become a hurricane as early as Wednesday afternoon as it moves over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The NHC also forecasts that Lee will undergo rapid intensification, becoming a major hurricane as early as Friday.
Use the interactive tracker below for a day-by-day analysis of the National Hurricane Center’s track for Lee.
Lee will pass by the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic through the weekend. It is too early to know for sure if Lee will impact the U.S. mainland, however it bears watching through next week.
Below is the ECMWF model data for Lee. Notice how the Bermuda High serves as the steering current towards the East Coast of the United States. It remains to be seen if a trough over the eastern U.S. will keep Lee out to sea.
Additional tropical cyclone formation is possible to the east of Lee. This serves as a reminder that we are approaching the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which statistically takes place on September 10. The traditional end of the Atlantic Hurricane Season is November 30.