Hurricane Lee downgraded to Category 3
Hurricane Lee has slowed down slightly ahead of its expected turn north later this week - but its path is still uncertain.
The Category 3 system remains a slow-moving, major storm and is forecast to go through “additional strengthening” in the coming days in the warm Atlantic waters.
The hurricane is currently moving west-northwest near 7mph (11kph) before turning north mid-week, passing west of Bermuda, according to the 5am (eastern time) update from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Swells generated by Lee are causing life-threatening surf and rip currents in parts of the Lesser Antilles, the British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, according to NHC.
The southeastern US coast is also facing these hazardous conditions which are expected to spread north along much of the US East Coast in the next couple of days.
Lee reached rare Category 5 status last week, intensifying at a rate which shocked scientists. Just behind Lee is Hurricane Margot, the fifth hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic season.
