Lee Hurricane Forecast To ‘Rapidly Strengthen:' What It Means For NJ

NEW JERSEY - Hurricane Lee is gaining traction in the Atlantic Thursday, with the storm set to “rapidly strengthen” as it barrels closer towards the East Coast and the Jersey Shore.

Forecasters said the category 1 storm will undergo “rapid intensification” and the National Hurricane Center released a statement at 5 a.m. noting Lee is expected to be a major hurricane by early Friday. Lee’s winds have already reached up to 80 mph, with hurricane-force gusts extending outward up to 15 miles from the center.

Several key factors will play a role in Lee’s path towards - or away from - the Garden State, AccuWeather forecasters noted Wednesday. Wind direction and jet stream dips, as well as the timing of when Lee spins out to the north, will all help determine its impact on New Jersey.

"Right now, the area in the United States that really needs to pay attention includes locations from the Outer Banks of North Carolina up to the Northeast," AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Heavy rain, gusty winds and storm surge won’t be out of the question for the northeast region, even as Lee is poised to lose intensity as it leaves the southern Atlantic.

Though it’s too early to tell exactly how Hurricane Lee will impact the Garden State, AccuWeather forecasters noted Lee’s path will pose a “significant” risk for dangerous rip tides.

Over Labor Day weekend, at least two drownings were reported and multiple rescues were executed in Cape May, Belmar and Seaside Park amid dangerous rip currents.

Surf swells from Lee are slated to hit the Lesser Antilles on Friday and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas, and Bermuda this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said, adding that the swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

The storm could reach near category 5 status as it encroaches on the eastern Caribbean, per CNN.

Lee is the 12th storm to form in the Atlantic in 2023, according to The New York Times. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a "near-normal" number of named storms this year - somewhere between 12 and 17, the outlet reported. The number, however, was revised upward last month to 14 to 21 storms.

Where is Hurricane Lee currently?

At 5 a.m. Thursday, the hurricane was located about 965 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, moving west-northwest at 14 mph. A slight reduction in forward speed is predicted over the weekend.

"The NHC intensity forecast calls for Lee to reach category 4 intensity in two to three days," NHC senior hurricane specialist and warning coordination meteorologist Daniel Brown said Wednesday.

Most of the long-range (spaghetti) models have Lee eventually curving north - missing the Caribbean and remaining offshore of the United States, National Public Radio reported.

Models also show Lee moving near Bermuda next week and eventually heading north, paralleling the eastern U.S. coastline, ABC News reported. Lee's forecast path has moved closed to the East Coast, per CBS News, with the ECMWF (European model), forecasting Lee staying out to sea but coming "very close" to the mainland U.S.