Hurricane Lee: Tropical Storm Conditions Expected In New England

NEW ENGLAND — As the massive Hurricane Lee churned in the northern Caribbean on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, parts of New England and Canada braced for strong winds, coastal flooding and rain.

In its 5 a.m. update Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said the storm was spinning with 115 MPH winds about 460 miles southwest of Bermuda. The agency warned that the Northeast and Atlantic Canada should monitor Lee's track, and that watches could be required for a portion of those areas later in the day.

"On the forecast track, the center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda Thursday and Thursday night and then approach the coast of New England or Atlantic Canada late this week," the hurricane center said.

The storm was expected to slowly weaken over the next few days, but will likely remain a "large and dangerous hurricane into the weekend," the center added.

"Lee is a very large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 240 miles (390 km)," the center said.

The precise impact on New England isn't certain, but the storm is expected to turn toward the north-northwest Wednesday, then make a northward turn and accelerate in speed Thursday and Friday, the hurricane center said. The Northeast could see high wind gusts that lash parts of Connecticut and eastern Massachusetts on Friday night or early Saturday. It will then likely keep traveling north and lose strength in cooler waters before potentially making landfall over the weekend in Nova Scotia, Canada, as a possible tropical storm.

Forecasters warned of dangerous surf and rip currents in Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda and parts of the South.

The conditions were expected to spread to the East Coast and Atlantic Canada in upcoming days.

Lee is the 13th named storm in the Atlantic hurricane season, and the fifth hurricane to form. The season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 and peaked Sunday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast 14 to 21 named storms this season. Up to 11 of those are expected to strengthen into hurricane, and of those, two to five could develop into Category 3 storms or higher.

Massachusetts

The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton warned that tropical storm conditions were possible in the Cape Cod area Friday night through Saturday night. The forecast called for a chance of showers over that period.

The Boston and Salem areas could see similar conditions Saturday and Saturday night, respectively.

Rhode Island

Southeastern Rhode Island, including Newport was expected to see tropical storm conditions Saturday, with showers.

The Providence area was not expected to see tropical storm conditions over the weekend, but forecasters still expected some showers and winds up to 31 mph Saturday.

New Hampshire

Tropical storm conditions were expected in southeastern New Hampshire Saturday as well, including in and around Portsmouth, Seabrook, Hampton, Exeter and Dover, the weather service said.

Connecticut

Much of Connecticut was expected to miss most impacts of Lee, with forecasters expecting partly sunny skies in much of the southeastern part of the state, including New London, Old Saybrook and westward out to New Haven, Bridgeport and Stamford.

Stonington, located along the Rhode Island border, was expected to see some showers Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.