Hurricane Lee continues its remarkable rapid intensification and now has maximum sustained winds of 266 km/h with stronger gusts, according to the 5:00 a.m. Miami time update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm will likely reach its peak intensity by this weekend and is still expected to be a dangerous hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic early next week, though it’s too soon to know whether this system will directly impact the US mainland.
The hurricane is packing destructive maximum sustained winds of 155 mph and is about 550 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. “Although Lee’s current intensity is lower than the overnight peak, the hurricane remains very powerful,” the National Hurricane Center said, noting that more slight fluctuations in maximum winds are expected over the next several days.