Hurricane Lee intensifies rapidly into powerful Category 5 storm

Over the span of 24 hours, sustained wind speeds of Hurricane Lee increased from 80 miles per hour to 160 mph. Lee is now a large Category 5 hurricane, only the eighth such storm to form in the Atlantic since 2016. Lee is expected to maintain, or even increase, its intensity as it approaches the Caribbean.

Even though Lee is currently moving west on a seeming collision course with the U.S., its upcoming turn to the north has become more certain as both American and European models of the storm are in close agreement. Much of the East Coast is likely to see high winds and heavy surf as the storm sweeps north, but should be spared the damage of a direct impact. However, there remains a significant threat that Lee will strike maritime regions of Canada as a strong hurricane.