The center of Hurricane Lee is located
near latitude 24.0 North, longitude 65.4 West. Lee is moving toward
the west-northwest near 7 mph. A slow west-northwest to
northwest motion is expected during the next day or two, followed by
a turn toward the north by midweek. On the forecast track, Lee is
expected to pass near but to the west of Bermuda in a few days.
Data from the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters indicate that
maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph with higher
gusts. Lee is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane
Wind Scale. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next few days.
Lee is a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up
to 80 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds
extend outward up to 185 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 948 mb
based on dropsonde data from the aircraft.
The center of Hurricane Margot is located
near latitude 29.3 North, longitude 39.5 West. Margot is moving
toward the north near 13 mph. A northward to
north-northwestward motion with a decrease in forward speed is
expected during the next few days.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph
with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast during the
next day or so. Weakening is likely to begin by Thursday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 979 mb.
Eastern and Central Tropical Atlantic:
Two broad areas of low pressure over the eastern tropical Atlantic
are each producing disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity.
These lows are forecast to merge in a couple of days, and the
combined system is likely to become a tropical depression by this
weekend while moving west-northwestward or northwestward at about 15
mph across the central tropical Atlantic.
- Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent.
- Formation chance through 7 days…high…70 percent.
