AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter and AccuWeather's team of Hurricane Experts predicted Lee to be elevated to hurricane status before the National Hurricane Center designated it as such on Sept. 6.
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00:00 John, we do have a lot to talk about
00:02 regarding severe threats into the
00:04 Western Atlantic.
00:05 We've got a powerful tropical storm
00:06 on our hands, graduating to hurricane
00:09 intensity. Sure is and Jeff Accuweather's
00:11 team of hurricane experts believe
00:13 that Lee has strengthened into a
00:15 hurricane and will be designated by
00:17 the Hurricane Center at the 5:00 PM
00:19 advisory as a hurricane and Jeff.
00:21 This is going to be a powerhouse.
00:24 Accuweather experts now forecasting
00:26 this to be the first catastrophic
00:28 category 5 hurricane that's maximum
00:30 sustained winds over 157 mph over the
00:32 next several days in the open Atlantic.
00:35 A major storm system that's going to be
00:37 doing some significant intensification
00:39 and will soon be looking for
00:41 the new numbers at 5.
00:42 But that's really kind of the
00:44 peripheral side of the thing.
00:46 We know that this storm is going to be
00:49 gradually strengthening and rapidly
00:50 strengthening as it moves just barely
00:52 north of the Libra Island.
00:53 So I know we're confident in that
00:56 part of the track, but John,
00:58 after it passes just north of the
01:00 eastern Caribbean east of the north
01:02 of the Leewards, what do we expect?
01:03 And what are the influences?
01:05 Alright, well, here's a couple
01:06 of key points here. First,
01:07 here's the exclusive Accuweather
01:08 window of movement for Lee.
01:10 Accuweather is the first source to
01:12 forecast this storm to become a
01:14 category 5 hurricane and we were
01:16 the first source to issue any
01:18 forecast for this storm 24 hours
01:20 before anybody else. We do that here
01:22 to help give you the best information
01:24 so you can keep make the best decisions.
01:26 Keep you and your family safe.
01:28 Notice the rapid intensification
01:29 on the Saffir Simpson scale as
01:31 the storm gains wind intensity.
01:33 It's going to become a large
01:35 storm and a powerhouse.
01:36 And look at this Jeff by 8 AM Wednesday,
01:39 several 100 miles off the southeast US coast.
01:41 I've been describing this as a very
01:44 precarious position for potential impacts
01:46 along the East Coast and Atlanta,
01:48 Canada and John.
01:49 I know that we're very intentional
01:51 with our iPad here at Accuweather.
01:53 If you're a close observer of our
01:55 products you might notice that we
01:57 don't always plot the hurricane in
01:59 the center of this cone of potential
02:01 projections, so we're kind of hedging
02:03 toward the right side of that,
02:04 but there is some uncertainty out there.
02:06 So John, what is driving the potential?
02:08 And forgive me for clicking ahead there.
02:10 I know you were drawing on that previous map,
02:13 but what are the big drivers
02:15 in where this will go?
02:16 OK, and that's also a key point you made.
02:19 Accuweather is the only source
02:20 to provide a forecast out seven days.
02:22 That's a full two more days than any other
02:25 source of the best and most useful information.
02:27 Here are the key drivers.
02:29 It's going to be a big area of high
02:31 pressure out in the Atlantic Ocean.
02:33 How strong is it and where is it?
02:35 And then where are the dips in the
02:38 jet stream in the central and
02:39 eastern part of the country?
02:41 These two forces are going to
02:43 generate the steering winds that
02:44 will either take the storm out to
02:47 sea without any major impacts on
02:48 land areas or the alternate scenario.
02:50 Jeff, which shows that we're going
02:52 to be talking about a deeper dip
02:54 in the jet stream that's going to
02:56 draw the storm closer to the coast.
02:58 And notice that's where we talk
03:00 about concerns from the Carolina
03:02 coastline all the way up to the
03:04 mid Atlantic Northeast and Atlantic
03:05 Canada. The risk for more direct
03:07 impacts in those areas and John.
03:08 One thing that we're very,
03:10 very certain of,
03:11 regardless of the specifics,
03:12 rip currents are going to be a true
03:14 danger up and down much of the
03:16 Southeast Mid Atlantic Coast next week.
03:18 That's the that's for sure with this one.
03:20 So watch out rip currents,
03:22 dangerous rip currents that can
03:23 put you off guard too many lives
03:25 lost from rip currents over time
03:27 as well. So be careful.
03:28 Often under a blue sky.
03:29 Accuweather chief meteorologist
03:30 John Porter. John, thank you so much.