Hurricane Lee caused gusty winds in Bermuda on Thursday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Lee was located at latitude 32.9°N and longitude 67.6°W which put it about 170 miles (275 km) west-northwest of Bermuda. Lee was moving toward the north at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 957 mb.

A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Stonington, Maine to the U.S./Canada border. A Hurricane Watch was also in effect for the portion of the coast from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, New Brunswick. That Hurricane Watch included Grand Manan Island. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Digby to Medway Harbour, Nova Scotia.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for Bermuda. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Westport, Massachusetts to the U.S. Canada border. That Tropical Storm Warning included Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, New Brunswick. That Tropical Storm Warning included Grand Manan Island. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Fort Lawrence, New Brunswick to Point Tupper, Nova Scotia.

The circulation around the eastern side of Hurricane Lee was producing gusty winds in Bermuda on Thursday night. A weather station at the L.F. Wade International Airport (TXKF) reported a sustained wind speed of 43 m.p.h. (69 km/h) and a wind gust of 62 m.p.h. (100 km/h). The center of Hurricane Lee passed about 75 miles (120 km) east of NOAA buoy 41048 earlier in Thursday. The buoy reported a sustained wind speed of 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and a wind gust of 92 m.p.h. (148 km/h).

Hurricane Lee was beginning to exhibit the typical structure of a hurricane moving northward off the east coast of the U.S. There was no longer a well formed eye at the center of Lee’s circulation. Drier air was being pulled around the southern side of Hurricane Lee. An upper level trough over the eastern U.S. was producing southwesterly winds that were blowing toward the top of Lee’s circulation. Those winds were causing moderate vertical wind shear. The effects of the drier air and the vertical wind shear were causing an asymmetrical distribution of thunderstorms in Hurricane Lee. Most of the thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the northern and western sides of Lee’s circulation, Bands in the eastern and southern sides of the circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.

The changes to the structure of Hurricane Lee produced a large area of tropical storm force winds. Winds to hurricane force extended out 105 miles (165 km) from the center of Lee’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 345 miles (555 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 12.7. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 37.6 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 50.3. Hurricane Lee was about three-fourths as large as Hurricane Sandy was in 2012.

Hurricane Lee will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification of a hurricane during the next 24 hours. Lee will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C. The upper level trough over the eastern U.S. will continue to will cause moderate vertical wind shear. The circulation around Lee will also pull in more drier air. The combination of moderate vertical wind shear and the drier air will cause Hurricane Lee to weaken gradually during the next 24 hours. The combination of vertical wind shear and drier air will also cause Hurricane Lee to make a gradual transition to an extratropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.

Hurricane Lee will move around the western part of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system and the upper level trough over the eastern U.S. will steer Lee toward the north during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Hurricane Lee will be southeast of Cape Cod by Friday night. Lee will affect Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia later on Saturday. Hurricane Lee could be in the middle of a transition to an extratropical cyclone on Saturday. Lee will bring strong, gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the coast of the Northeast U.S. and Nova Scotia. Heavy rain could cause flash floods in come locations. The winds blowing around the northern side of Hurricane Lee will push water toward the coast. The water level could rise as much as four feet (one meter) along parts of the coast.

Elsewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Margot was churning west of the Azores. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Margot was located at latitude 36.9°N and longitude 38.9°W which put it about 655 miles (1055 km) west of the Azores. Margot was moving toward the east-northeast at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 982 mb.