Circumstances calm down as Lee moves away

Lee, now a post-tropical storm, made landfall in western Nova Scotia at about 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds are expected to slowly decrease and skies will be clear as the storm, downgraded from a hurricane, continues to move northeast.

“There are no longer any coastal flood warnings on Long Island,” James Tommasini, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton, said Saturday evening.

At 5 a.m. Saturday, the storm was 315 miles northeast of Montauk with 80 mph winds that could create waves as high as 10 to 16 feet along the island’s coast, according to the weather service.

Swimming was prohibited at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk due to high waves, but other beaches were open for swimming, said George Gorman, regional director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on Long Island.

On Saturday, the Meteorological Service warned of life-threatening rip currents, noting that even the best swimmers could be swept away by strong currents.

A high current risk remained in effect until 8pm on Saturday, but the high surf warning has been cancelled.

By Sunday and Monday, there will be a risk of moderate rip currents, Tommasini said. “Everything will slowly diminish as I withdraw.”

Advisories for small boats also remained in effect until Saturday evening, with rough conditions expected at the inlets.

While there was only minor erosion at Heather Hills State Park, Robert Moses State Park and Gilgo State Park, officials were monitoring conditions in Montauk, Gorman said. There was no concern that Jones Beach would face erosion.

Sunday will be sunny with a high around 77 degrees and west winds of 6 to 11 mph moving out of the southwest in the afternoon, the weather service said.

There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms Sunday evening, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 a.m. Monday. The percentage of precipitation reaches 80%, and the low temperature is expected to reach about 64 degrees.

Rain is also expected Monday, especially before 2 p.m., with temperatures reaching 73 degrees during the day and dropping to 61 at night. The rest of the week through Friday is expected to be sunny, with daytime temperatures in the mid to high 70s and nighttime lows dropping to 59 degrees, according to the weather service.

With Lorena Mongelli