The center of Hurricane Lee is located

near latitude 25.7 North, longitude 67.1 West.  Lee is moving toward

the northwest near 6 mph.  A turn toward the

north-northwest is expected later today, followed by a northward

turn and an increase in speed on Thursday and Friday.  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.

Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph with higher

gusts.  Lee is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson

Hurricane Wind Scale.  Slow weakening is forecast during the next

few days, however Lee is likely to remain a large and dangerous

hurricane into the weekend.

Lee is a very large hurricane.  Hurricane-force winds extend

outward up to 115 miles from the center and

tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 240 miles.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 948 mb.

The center of Hurricane Margot is located

near latitude 33.6 North, longitude 40.0 West. Margot is moving

toward the north near 12 mph. A north-northwestward or

northward motion with a gradual decrease in forward speed is

expected through early Thursday. Then, Margot is likely to stall or

meander within weak steering currents into the weekend.

Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph with higher

gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next few days.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the

center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 975 mb.

Eastern and Central Tropical Atlantic (AL97):

A broad area of low pressure over the eastern tropical Atlantic

continues to produce some disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

Gradual development of this system is expected over the next few

days while the system moves west-northwestward to northwestward at

10 to 15 mph, and a tropical depression is likely to form by this

weekend over the central tropical Atlantic.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…40 percent.

* Formation chance through 7 days…high…80 percent.