While Thursday is shaping up to be a “September stunner,” all eyes are on Hurricane Lee as the storm will pass by Massachusetts at the start of the weekend, the National Weather Service said.
Hurricane Lee is expected to brush by the southern New England coastline late Friday night and Saturday, which is the same day the storm will get its closest to Massachusetts, according to forecasters.
Lee should bring rough surf and possible flooding, damaging winds and bands of heavy rain to at least coastal areas of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the National Weather Service said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The storm is expected to have the greatest impacts on Cape Cod, where winds could reach between 50-60 mph, and water levels could rise between 2-4 feet if the peak surge happens at the same time as high tide.
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for the Cape and Nantucket, meaning life-threatening flooding could occur, the National Weather Service said. The rest of the Massachusetts coast is also under a Tropical Storm Watch.
While the rest of the state is not at the same risk of feeling the impact from Hurricane Lee, people can still expect strong winds and rain. Meteorologist Domenica Davis with The Weather Channel said Lee’s impacts can be felt roughly 200 miles from its center.
- Read More: Will Hurricane Lee impact Massachusetts?
Lee, which was about 840 miles south of Nantucket as of Thursday morning, is currently listed as a Category 2 Hurricane with winds of up to 100 mph. The storm is expected to weaken as it heads north.
The storm will pass by the west of Bermuda Thursday, before heading toward New England. The storm will approach Canada and Nova Scotia later in the weekend and impact parts of Maine as well, Davis said.
