Hurricane Lee live tracker: Hurricane watch issued in New England as flooding threat to Boston, New York

Hurricane Lee was pounding Bermuda with high winds and dangerous surf early on Thursday as conditions deteriorated along much of the US east coast.

The monster hurricane is around 500 miles (nearly 800km) wide with winds reaching 100mph. Lee is moving north across the Atlantic at around 12mph, and is expected to gain speed through Saturday.

A hurricane watch spanned the US-Canada border including parts of New England and up into Nova Scotia. The Category 2 storm expected to make landfall in Maine or Nova Scotia this weekend.

The center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda into tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada on Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported.

Forecasters warned of storm surge and tide leading to coastal and inland flooding. If peak storm surge occurs at high tide, parts of Cape Cod could see up to 4ft of flooding while Boston Harbor could experience up to 3ft.

And it won’t just be in New England as parts of New York are also under threat. Montauk and the Long Island Sound could see up to 3ft of flooding along with Flushing in Queens, while the Rockaways could see 2ft.

Key Points

• Heavy surf from Hurricane Lee pound Bermuda

• Rain-soaked New England hit by likely tornado amid wild weather ahead of Hurricane Lee

• When will Hurricane Lee reach New England?

• Where is Hurricane Lee currently?

• The hurricane’s projected path

US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year — and there’s still four months to go

Wednesday 13 September 2023 15:00 , Martha McHardy

The deadly firestorm in Hawaii and Hurricane Idalia’s watery storm surge helped push the United States to a record for the number of weather disasters that cost $1 billion or more. And there’s still four months to go on what’s looking more like a calendar of calamities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Monday that there have been 23 weather extreme events in America that cost at least $1 billion this year through August, eclipsing the year-long record total of 22 set in 2020. So far this year’s disasters have cost more than $57.6 billion and claimed at least 253 lives.

And NOAA’s count doesn’t yet include Tropical Storm Hilary’s damages in hitting California and a deep drought that has struck the South and Midwest because those costs are still to be totaled, said Adam Smith, the NOAA applied climatologist and economist who tracks the billion-dollar disasters.

Read more:

US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year -- and there's still 4 months to go

‘Tropical storm conditions expected to begin across parts of coastal New England later this afternoon’

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the latest from the National Hurricane Center this morning:

Hurricane Lee to make landfall near US-Canada border on Saturday

12:00 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre is forecasting that Hurricane Lee will make landfall near on Saturday near the US border with Canada.

The storm may be a post-tropical storm by the time it reaches the northeastern portion of the US and Canada’s east coast.

Forecasters are predicting that heavy rain — up to four inches — will fall over eastern Massachusetts and most of Maine, new Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

The storm is likely to bring flooding and high winds may topples trees and powerlines, causing outages throughout the region.

Maine power officials warn Hurricane Lee may down trees, powerlines

11:00 , Graig Graziosi

Hurricane Lee is approaching New England less than a week after the region was soaked with heavy rain, which has already softened and begun to erode the soil in the region.

Jon Breed, spokesperson for Central Maine Power, told The Weather Channel that the current erosion, paired with the expected rain and tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Lee may result in toppled lines and trees.

“[Previous rain] has led to a lot of soil, soil erosion, nutrient runoff,” he said. “That means that the root systems on a number of trees are rotting.”

He warned that downed lines can be extremely dangerous and advised residents to steer clear of them in the event of any line collapses.

“As always, if those trees bring down lines, we want customers to stay very well clear of those lines that can be incredibly dangerous and call us so our crews can come and resolve that problem,” he said.

Saturday morning into Sunday expected to be peak of Hurricane Lee’s impact on New England

10:00 , Graig Graziosi

The National Weather Service expects Saturday morning and Sunday to be the peak of Hurricane Lee’s impact on New England.

“It looks like early Saturday morning into Saturday evening should be the peak in New England,” Weather Channel senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said.

The hurricane is currently churning up the US east coast on its way toward New England.

A state of emergency has already been delcared in Maine, where officials are expecting high winds, heavy rain, significant storm surge and possible flooding as a result of the hurricane.

State of emergency declared in Maine ahead of Hurricane Lee’s arrival

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Officials in Maine have declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Lee’s arrival in the northeast.

“We continue to closely track the storm and expect heavy rains and high winds that likely will cause storm surge, flooding, infrastructure damage, and power outages,” Governor Janet Mills said in a social media post on Thursday.

“We continue to strongly urge Maine people – particularly those Downeast – to exercise caution and to take steps to ensure they have what they need to stay safe as the storm draws closer.”

National Weather Service shares photo of gargantuan Hurricane Lee

08:00 , Graig Graziosi

The National Weather Service office serving Portland, Maine, shared an image showing the size of Hurricane Lee as it approaches the US east coast.

Hurricane Lee is expected to produce tropical storm force winds along the US east coast in the coming days, and Bermuda has already closed schools for Thursday and Friday as it feels the effects of the passing storm.

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of Massachusetts flooding in Massachusetts

07:00 , Graig Graziosi

A trio of cars were left dangling on the edges of a sinkhole outside a dealership in Massachusetts following severe flooding in the area earlier this week.

The sinkhole opened up in the city of Leominster after heavy rains destabilised the ground and opened up a 15-foot deep chasm.

Public works crews expressed concerns that the flood and subsequent sinkhole might have weakened the foundation of a home near the affected area. The couple living in the house were forced to leave on Monday night.

READ MORE

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of devastating flooding in Massachusetts

Massachusetts urges residents to prepare for storm’s arrival

06:00 , Graig Graziosi

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency issued a checklist of preparations for residents on Thursday as Hurricane Lee is expected to bring “life-threatening” conditions to parts of the state.

Watch: Preparing for Hurricane Lee

04:59 , Graig Graziosi

Bermuda suspends ferries and shuts schools amid impacts from Hurricane Lee

04:00 , Graig Graziosi

The government of Bermuda shared updates on safety measures as Hurricane Lee began to impact the island early on Thursday.

Schools were closed on Thursday and Friday, and citizens were asked to stay off the roads.

Ferry services had also been suspended and L.F. Wade International Airport in St George’s was closed at noon.

Pictured: The vast scale of Hurricane Lee captured from space

03:00 , Graig Graziosi

A satellite image, from 8am (eastern) on Thursday, shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean.

Lee looks poised to wallop New England even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a likely tornado.

‘Life-threatening’ storm surge warnings

02:00 , Graig Graziosi

Thursday morning storm surge warnings from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) at 11am Thursday for Massachusetts and New York are as follows:

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” NHC reported.

“The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.” - Chatham, MA to Sagamore Beach, MA: 2-4 ft

- Cape Cod Bay: 2-4 ft

- Nantucket: 2-4 ft

- Sagamore Beach, MA to Border of US/Canada:1-3 ft

- Boston Harbor: 1-3 ft

- Flushing, NY to Chatham, MA:1-3 ft

- Montauk Point, NY to Flushing, NY: 1-3 ft

- Long Island Sound: 1-3 ft

- Martha’s Vineyard: 1-3 ft

- Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY: 1-2 ft

Earth is outside its ‘safe operating space for humanity’ on most key measurements, study says

01:00 , Graig Graziosi

Earth is exceeding its “safe operating space for humanity” in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said.

Earth’s climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and “novel” chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances.

Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe, and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said.

“We are in very bad shape,” said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

“We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick.”

READ MORE:

Earth is outside its ‘safe operating space for humanity’, study says

Why US floods are getting ‘flashier’

Friday 15 September 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi

Last year, The Independent explored why the United States is at risk of a future filled with “flashier” flash floods.

Read more below

Why US floods are getting ‘flashier’

Hurricane Lee in Bermuda

Thursday 14 September 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi

Hurricane Lee was pounding Bermuda with high winds and dangerous surf early on Thursday as conditions deteriorated along much of the US east coast.

The hurricane has winds nearing 100mph and is moving north near 12mph, with an increase in forward speed expected through Saturday.

A hurricane watch spanned the US-Canada border including parts of New England and up into Nova Scotia. The Category 2 storm expected to make landfall in Maine or Nova Scotia this weekend.

The center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda today and tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported.

Forecasters warned of storm surge and tide leading to coastal and inland flooding. If peak storm surge occurs at high tide, parts of Cape Cod could see up to 4ft of flooding while Boston Harbor could experience up to 3ft.

And it won’t just be in New England as parts of New York are also under threat. Montauk and the Long Island Sound could see up to 3ft of flooding along with Flushing in Queens, while the Rockaways could see 2ft.

Earth is outside its ‘safe operating space for humanity’ on most key measurements, study says

Thursday 14 September 2023 22:49 , Louise Boyle

Earth is exceeding its “safe operating space for humanity” in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said.

Earth’s climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and “novel” chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances.

Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe, and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said.

“We are in very bad shape,” said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

“We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick.”

Read more

Earth is outside its ‘safe operating space for humanity’, study says

Watch: Hurricane Lee advances towards US as warnings issued for New England

Thursday 14 September 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

Hurricane Lee to make landfall near US-Canada border on Saturday

Thursday 14 September 2023 21:41 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre is forecasting that Hurricane Lee will make landfall near on Saturday near the US border with Canada.

The storm may be a post-tropical storm by the time it reaches the northeastern portion of the US and Canada’s east coast.

Forecasters are predicting that heavy rain — up to four inches — will fall over eastern Massachusetts and most of Maine, new Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

The storm is likely to bring flooding and high winds may topples trees and powerlines, causing outages throughout the region.

Maine power officials warn Hurricane Lee may down trees, powerlines

Thursday 14 September 2023 21:05 , Graig Graziosi

Hurricane Lee is approaching New England less than a week after the region was soaked with heavy rain, which has already softened and begun to erode the soil in the region.

Jon Breed, spokesperson for Central Maine Power, told The Weather Channel that the current erosion, paired with the expected rain and tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Lee may result in toppled lines and trees.

“[Previous rain] has led to a lot of soil, soil erosion, nutrient runoff,” he said. “That means that the root systems on a number of trees are rotting.”

He warned that downed lines can be extremely dangerous and advised residents to steer clear of them in the event of any line collapses.

“As always, if those trees bring down lines, we want customers to stay very well clear of those lines that can be incredibly dangerous and call us so our crews can come and resolve that problem,” he said.

Saturday morning into Sunday expected to be peak of Hurricane Lee’s impact on New England

Thursday 14 September 2023 20:48 , Graig Graziosi

The National Weather Service expects Saturday morning and Sunday to be the peak of Hurricane Lee’s impact on New England.

“It looks like early Saturday morning into Saturday evening should be the peak in New England,” Weather Channel senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said.

The hurricane is currently churning up the US east coast on its way toward New England.

A state of emergency has already been delcared in Maine, where officials are expecting high winds, heavy rain, significant storm surge and possible flooding as a result of the hurricane.

State of emergency declared in Maine ahead of Hurricane Lee’s arrival

Thursday 14 September 2023 20:26 , Graig Graziosi

Officials in Maine have declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Lee’s arrival in the northeast.

“We continue to closely track the storm and expect heavy rains and high winds that likely will cause storm surge, flooding, infrastructure damage, and power outages,” Governor Janet Mills said in a social media post on Thursday. “We continue to strongly urge Maine people – particularly those Downeast – to exercise caution and to take steps to ensure they have what they need to stay safe as the storm draws closer.”

National Weather Service shares photo of gargantuan Hurricane Lee

Thursday 14 September 2023 20:02 , Graig Graziosi

The National Weather Service office serving Portland, Maine, shared an image showing the size of Hurricane Lee as it approaches the US east coast.

Hurricane Lee is expected to produce tropical storm force winds along the US east coast in the coming days, and Bermuda has already closed schools for Thursday and Friday as it feels the effects of the passing storm.

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of Massachusetts flooding in Massachusetts

Thursday 14 September 2023 19:40 , Louise Boyle

A trio of cars were left dangling on the edges of a sinkhole outside a dealership in Massachusetts following severe flooding in the area earlier this week.

The sinkhole opened up in the city of Leominster after heavy rains destabilised the ground and opened up a 15-foot deep chasm.

Public works crews expressed concerns that the flood and subsequent sinkhole might have weakened the foundation of a home near the affected area. The couple living in the house were forced to leave on Monday night.

Graig Graziosi reports

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of devastating flooding in Massachusetts

Massachusetts urges residents to prepare for storm’s arrival

Thursday 14 September 2023 19:10 , Louise Boyle

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency issued a checklist of preparations for residents on Thursday as Hurricane Lee is expected to bring “life-threatening” conditions to parts of the state.

Watch: Preparing for Hurricane Lee

Thursday 14 September 2023 18:46 , Louise Boyle

Hurricane Lee’s potential impacts: Mapped

Thursday 14 September 2023 18:25 , Louise Boyle

The National Weather Service shared its forecast models for Hurricane Lee on Thursday which revealed hurricane conditions and coastal flooding possible in portions of eastern Maine, southern New Brunswick, and western Nova Scotia on Saturday.

Tropical storm conditions are also expected on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

Tropical storm conditions are possible elsewhere across New England and Atlantic Canada, NWS added.

What’s more, heavy rainfall from the storm may produce flooding across eastern New England and into portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from Friday night into Saturday night.

There is the potential for life-threatening storm surge flooding in portions of southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and Nantucket, late Friday and Saturday.

Bermuda suspends ferries and shuts schools amid impacts from Hurricane Lee

Thursday 14 September 2023 18:03 , Louise Boyle

The government of Bermuda shared updates on safety measures as Hurricane Lee began to impact the island early on Thursday.

Schools were closed on Thursday and Friday, and citizens were asked to stay off the roads.

Ferry services had also been suspended and L.F. Wade International Airport in St George’s was closed at noon.

Key messages on Hurricane Lee from the National Hurricane Center

Thursday 14 September 2023 17:39 , Louise Boyle

Pictured: The vast scale of Hurricane Lee captured from space

Thursday 14 September 2023 17:19 , Louise Boyle

A satellite image, from 8am (eastern) on Thursday, shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean.

Lee looks poised to wallop New England even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a likely tornado.

‘Life-threatening’ storm surge warnings

Thursday 14 September 2023 17:05 , Louise Boyle

Here’s the latest on storm surge warnings from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) at 11am Thursday for Massachusetts and New York.

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” NHC reported.

“The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.”- Chatham, MA to Sagamore Beach, MA: 2-4 ft

- Cape Cod Bay: 2-4 ft

- Nantucket: 2-4 ft

- Sagamore Beach, MA to Border of US/Canada:1-3 ft

- Boston Harbor: 1-3 ft

- Flushing, NY to Chatham, MA:1-3 ft

- Montauk Point, NY to Flushing, NY: 1-3 ft

- Long Island Sound: 1-3 ft

- Martha’s Vineyard: 1-3 ft

- Rockaway Inlet, NY to Montauk Point, NY: 1-2 ft

Earth is outside its ‘safe operating space for humanity’ on most key measurements, study says

Thursday 14 September 2023 16:50 , Louise Boyle

Earth is exceeding its “safe operating space for humanity” in six of nine key measurements of its health, and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study said.

Earth’s climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and “novel” chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances.

Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe, and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said.

“We are in very bad shape,” said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

“We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick.”

Earth is outside its ‘safe operating space for humanity’, study says

Why US floods are getting ‘flashier’

Thursday 14 September 2023 16:04 , Louise Boyle

Last year, The Independent explored why the United States is at risk of a future filled with “flashier” flash floods.

Read more below

Why US floods are getting ‘flashier’

New England faces a walloping (again)

Thursday 14 September 2023 15:49 , Louise Boyle

Hurricane Lee looks poised to wallop New England later this week even as the region still deals with the impact of days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a likely tornado.

The looming arrival of the hurricane threatened to unleash more violent storms on a region that earlier in the week saw 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rainfall over six hours and on Wednesday saw communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island deal with tornado warnings and more heavy rain that opened up sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several areas. (AP)

The latest forecast on Hurricane Lee

Thursday 14 September 2023 15:11 , Louise Boyle

Hurricane Lee was pounding Bermuda with high winds and dangerous surf early on Thursday as conditions deteriorated along much of the US east coast.

The hurricane has winds nearing 100mph and is moving north near 12mph, with an increase in forward speed expected through Saturday.

A hurricane watch spanned the US-Canada border including parts of New England and up into Nova Scotia. The Category 2 storm expected to make landfall in Maine or Nova Scotia this weekend.

The center of Lee will pass west of Bermuda today and tonight, approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada Friday and Saturday, and move across Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported.

Forecasters warned of storm surge and tide leading to coastal and inland flooding. If peak storm surge occurs at high tide, parts of Cape Cod could see up to 4ft of flooding while Boston Harbor could experience up to 3ft.

And it won’t just be in New England as parts of New York are also under threat. Montauk and the Long Island Sound could see up to 3ft of flooding along with Flushing in Queens, while the Rockaways could see 2ft.

Watch: Hurricane Lee advances towards US as warnings issued for New England

Thursday 14 September 2023 14:41 , Louise Boyle

Latest advisory from National Hurricane Center

Thursday 14 September 2023 12:30 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane and tropical storm conditions are possible across portions of coastal New England and Atlantic Canada late Friday and Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest 5am advisory.

Storm surges and heavy rainfall is already battering Bermuda as the hurricane continues to move northward.

The storm was located about 370 miles (595 kilometres) south-southwest of Bermuda. It had winds of up to 105 miles per hour (165 kilometres per hour) and was moving north-northwest at 9mph (15kph).

Here are the key messages:

Rhode Island governor asks people to keep an eye on updates

Thursday 14 September 2023 11:30 , Stuti Mishra

Rhode Island governor Dan McKee said on social media that the state's emergency operations centre was activated and would be monitoring the fast-changing weather conditions over the next few days.

"The best thing you can do right now: Stay tuned for frequent updates," Mr McKee said.

'Take the storm seriously,' authorities warn as heavy surf from Hurricane Lee pound Bermuda

Thursday 14 September 2023 10:30 , Stuti Mishra

The outer bands of Hurricane Lee have started to lash Bermuda, with the Category 2 storm expected to make landfall on the coast of New England or Atlantic Canada over the weekend.

The storm was located about 370miles (595km) south-southwest of Bermuda. It had winds of up to 105mph (165kph) and was moving north-northwest at 9mph (15kph).

Lee was expected to pass just west of Bermuda, prompting forecasters to issue a tropical storm warning for the island.

“I cannot stress enough that we must all take this storm seriously,” David Burch, acting national security minister, said in a press conference.

Where is Hurricane Lee currently?

Thursday 14 September 2023 09:30 , Stuti Mishra

Latest map from the National Hurricane Center shows Hurricane Lee swirling towards Bermuda after a northward turn.

The storm was located about 370 miles (595 kilometres) south-southwest of Bermuda. It had winds of up to 105mph (165kph) and was moving north-northwest at 9mph (15kph).

The storm is expected to impact New England as early as Friday.

When will Hurricane Lee reach New England?

Thursday 14 September 2023 08:30 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Lee’s winds could begin to buffet portions of New England as early as Friday as the storm’s centre is expected to pass close to the region’s southeast before barrelling near or over Maine and Atlantic Canada over the weekend as a “large and dangerous cyclone”, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Though the storm – now a Category 2 hurricane – is expected to weaken as it approaches, it will still have a massive radius of damaging winds that will be significantly felt along coastal New England and Canada’s Atlantic provinces.

“Hurricane conditions, heavy rainfall, and coastal flooding are possible in portions of eastern Maine on Saturday,” the National Hurricane Center said. The area is under a hurricane watch.

“Life-threatening” storm surge flooding could inundate parts of southeastern Massachusetts late Friday and Saturday, the agency said.

Tropical storm conditions expected in Bermuda 'in a few hours'

Thursday 14 September 2023 07:30 , Stuti Mishra

The National Hurricane Center has warned of tropical storm conditions in Bermuda ‘in a few hours’, in its latest advisory issued 2am ET.

The Hurricane could bring heavy rainfall and high tides to the island this morning, triggering localised flooding.

Here are the key messages from NHC:

Rain-soaked New England hit by likely tornado amid wild weather ahead of Hurricane Lee's arrival

Thursday 14 September 2023 06:37 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Lee barrelled north toward New England on Wednesday and threatened to unleash violent storms on the region just as Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities were dealing with tornado warnings and another day of heavy rain that opened up sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several communities.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for portions of Maine. A tropical storm watch was issued for a large area of coastal New England from parts of Rhode Island to Stonington, Maine, including Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

The National Weather Service in Boston said that looking at radar data and videos it appears likely that a tornado toppled trees and knocked down power lines in Rhode Island and Connecticut on Wednesday.

Rob Megnia, a meteorologist with the weather service, said they received reports of about 20 trees down in Killingly, Connecticut, and trees and power lines down in Foster, Rhode Island.

The agency said it would survey the storm damage in both states on Thursday to help determine the tornado's strength, maximum wind speed and its path.

Emergency sirens could be heard late Wednesday afternoon in parts of Providence, Rhode Island, as cellphones pinged with a tornado warning.

One bumpy ride

Thursday 14 September 2023 04:59 , Louise Boyle

The 403rd Wing of the US Air Force Reserve Command, otherwise known as the “Hurricane Hunters”, shared a video of their aerial weather reconnaissance of Hurricane Lee this past weekend.

New England braces for more rain after hourslong downpour left communities flooded

Thursday 14 September 2023 04:02 , Louise Boyle

More heavy rain was in the forecast Wednesday in New England, where residents were cleaning up after downpours dropped nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in six hours and flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The rainfall was a “200-year event,” said Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston.

Two communities declared a state of emergency and officials ordered evacuations out of concern for a dam listed in poor condition.

Rain from Hurricane Lee didn’t contribute to Monday’s flooding but could inundate parts of the coastal Northeast during the weekend, forecasters said.

Read more

New England braces for more rain after hourslong downpour left communities flooded

What is Hurricane Lee’s ‘cone of uncertainty’?

Thursday 14 September 2023 03:00 , Louise Boyle

Hurricane Lee is tearing across the Atlantic bringing strong winds and dangerous currents to parts of the Caribbean, before it is expected to pivot and travel up the US East Coast, potentially making landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada on Sunday.

The National Hurricane Center graphic below shows the probable path of Hurricane Lee. Areas under a hurricane warning are marked in red; hurricane watch in pink; tropical storm warning in blue; and tropical storm watch in yellow. The orange circle shows the current position of the cyclone’s center.

However NHC tropical cyclone forecast tracks have room for error, the agency notes.

This uncertainty is conveyed by the track forecast “cone” - the solid white and stippled white areas in the graphic.

The solid white area depicts the track forecast uncertainty for days 1-3 of the forecast.

The stippled area depicts the uncertainty on days 4-5.

The entire five-day path of the center of the tropical cyclone will remain within the cone about 60-70 per cent of the time, according to historical data.

National Weather Service

‘Peak’ Atlantic hurricane season

Thursday 14 September 2023 02:04 , Louise Boyle

Last Sunday was the climatological peak of Atlantic hurricane season with conditions ripe for tropical storms and hurricanes.

This week has seen considerable action with two hurricanes - Lee and Margot - currently swirling across the Atlantic.

At “peak” season, ocean waters are typically at their highest temperatures, and the shearing winds which suffocate storms decline to a minimum, creating the perfect conditions to generate powerful cyclones.

‘Rapid intensification’ of more storms likely as ocean waters warm

Thursday 14 September 2023 01:05 , Louise Boyle

Hurricane Lee is in rare company. Only two recorded storms – Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Felix in 2007 – strengthened faster than Lee over a 24-hour period.

Lee developed from a Cat 1 to a Cat 5 last week before slowly weakening to its current Cat 2 status (although it remains a “large and dangerous” storm, according to the National Weather Service).

Brian McNoldy, from the University of Miami, told NBC News that warm conditions in the Atlantic were ripe for the storm’s rapid intensification.

The “vertical wind shear was very low and the water temperature under it was very warm,” he said. Lee “took full advantage of both”, he added.

In 2022, Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified over two separate periods before striking Florida as a Category 4 storm. Last Last month, Hurricane Idalia recently strengthened from Cat 1 to Cat 4 within 24 hours.

“It’s a huge problem, and the past is not a good guide to what we should expect going forward,” Jeff Masters, a former hurricane scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told NBC.

Watch: Massachusetts city got nearly 10 inches of rain in 6 hours

Thursday 14 September 2023 00:02 , Louise Boyle

‘Not taking any chances'

Wednesday 13 September 2023 23:02 , Louise Boyle

While the most severe impacts of Hurricane Lee were forecast for New England and Atlantic Canada this weekend, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that she is “not taking any chances” and deploying the National Guard.

“It’s too early to predict how Hurricane Lee will impact New York, but we’re not taking any chances,” Governor Hochul posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“I’ve deployed [the New York National Guard] on Long Island & directed agencies to prepare emergency response assets. Please watch the forecast & be ready to act, if necessary, to stay safe.”

Watch: Hurricane Lee inches closer to New England

Wednesday 13 September 2023 22:33 , Louise Boyle

What to know about renters insurance and what it does and doesn’t cover

Wednesday 13 September 2023 22:02 , Louise Boyle

When the unexpected happens — whether fire, hail, or human error — renters insurance can provide much-needed stability.

But many choose not to purchase coverage, including in places most frequently and hardest hit by natural disasters, new research shows.

Read more

What to know about renters insurance and what it does and doesn't cover

Watch: How does Hurricane Lee compare to past hurricanes that have struck New England?

Wednesday 13 September 2023 21:29 , Louise Boyle

US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year — and there’s still 4 months to go

Wednesday 13 September 2023 21:00 , Louise Boyle

The deadly firestorm in Hawaii and Hurricane Idalia’s surge helped push the United States to a record number of weather disasters that cost $1 billion or more in 2023. And there’s still four months to go on what’s looking more like a calendar of calamities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday that there have been 23 weather extreme events in America that cost at least $1 billion this year through August, eclipsing the year-long record total of 22 set in 2020. So far this year’s disasters have cost more than $57.6 billion and claimed at least 253 lives.

And NOAA’s count doesn’t yet include Tropical Storm Hilary’s damages in hitting California and a deep drought that has struck the South and Midwest because those costs are still to be totaled, said Adam Smith, the NOAA applied climatologist and economist who tracks the billion-dollar disasters.

Read more

US sets record for billion-dollar weather disasters in a year -- and there's still 4 months to go