The storm is expected to strengthen again before the track shifts significantly northward

Hurricane Lee continues to move through the warm waters of the open Atlantic Ocean on Monday, as forecasters expect the storm to continue to gain strength in the next few days after weakening over recent days.

Lee’s maximum sustained winds returned to 120 mph early Monday, returning Lee to “major hurricane” status as a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. Within the next couple of days, Typhoon Lee is expected to revert to Category 4 status, with sustained winds of about 130 mph expected.

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After that, Typhoon Lee is expected to weaken slightly, but will remain a powerful typhoon as forecasters closely monitor the long-awaited shift northward.

Forecasters say the timing of this northward shift will have major implications for Hurricane Lee’s impacts on the eastern United States and Bermuda.

As of now, the center of the storm is expected to remain in the open waters between Bermuda and the eastern United States, but slightly closer to Bermuda. If Lee stays on this track, he will end up about 200 to 300 miles east of the Jersey Shore by early Saturday.

That should be far enough away to avoid any heavy rains or damaging winds for the Garden State region, but forecasters are still predicting massive ocean swells and dangerous rip currents, along with potential coastal flooding and beach erosion along the Jersey Shore.

Parts of New Jersey are already in danger of flooding today due to ground saturation from heavy rains Saturday, Sunday and early Monday morning — unrelated to Hurricane Lee — and additional rain is expected this afternoon and this evening.

AccuWeather meteorologists say people in the eastern U.S. should closely monitor Hurricane Lee’s track, especially those in eastern New England, where Lee could move close enough to bring strong wind gusts and heavy rain.

“From mid-week onward, the exact path of Hurricane Lee will determine the scope of direct and indirect impacts across the eastern United States and the Atlantic Canada region,” AccuWeather noted in its Monday morning hurricane forecast. “Lee’s slow forward speed for some time this week may cause the system to lose some of its wind intensity as cold water from the depths is pushed to the surface. However, Lee will remain a powerful and dangerous hurricane.

CNN said that all eyes will be on when Hurricane Lee turns from west to north.

“If Lee’s track is farther to the west before turning north, areas north of the Carolinas — especially eastern New England and Atlantic Canada — may be more at risk from rain, wind and coastal flooding,” CNN noted. “If the storm turns suddenly, it will move eastward and reduce the risk to the entire East Coast.”

As of 11 a.m. Monday, Hurricane Lee was located about 365 miles north of the northern Leeward Islands and about 615 miles south of Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said. “Hurricane winds extend outward up to 75 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.”

The agency says that although Lee is hundreds of miles away from the United States, “dangerous waves and rip currents have begun to affect parts of the southeastern U.S. coast, and these conditions are expected to spread northward along most of the U.S. East Coast within the next two days.” “The next two.”

Margot is upgraded to Hurricane

Tropical Storm Margot was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane late Monday afternoon when it reached maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. However, Margot – which is orbiting far out in the Atlantic Ocean – is not expected to impact any land.

Margot is the fifth hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

Current weather radar

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Len Melisurgo can be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com.