Hurricane "Lee" in the Atlantic Ocean is breaking records for the speed of its strengthening; Going from a tropical storm on Tuesday with 70MPH winds, to a Category 3 Hurricane by 5:00 PM Thursday with 130 MPH winds, now, Friday morning, to a Category 5 with sustained winds of 160 MPH
National Hurricane Center "Storm Hunter" aircraft got a real violent ride this morning, at one point plunging 1000 feet in 30 seconds, and only able to regain 500 of those feet after a full minute. Then, to the shock of the flight crew and to weather forecasters, the plane encountered an "anomaly" in the storm wind field: Registering sustained winds of 157 knots in the northwest quadrant of the storm.
If this anomaly is verified, 157 knots converts to . . . . . . . . . . . 180 miles per hour.
Those are some pretty ridiculous SFMRs in the northwestern quadrant (up to 157 knots)!! With flight level winds still hovering in the mid-140s, I have to wonder what the NHC does here. SFMR has its uses but there's a lot of uncertainty built in with it at these intensities... https://t.co/MYVuwU57Ty pic.twitter.com/REjlXfcJj6
— Deelan Jariwala (@WxTca) September 8, 2023
Currently, >>MOST<< computer models show the storm taking a northerly turn and remaining well off the US east coast. FOUR of the twelve or so models show the storm maintaining a straight line and slamming into the US east coast. Among the models, two show a Florida impact, another shows a South Carolina / North Carolina impact, and one shows a direct hit on New York City.
Most readers already realize that literally nothing can withstand such 180 MPH wind speeds if they were to come ashore anywhere. Nothing could survive.
People all along the US East Coast should monitor this storm's path once a day to protect yourselves. Have an evacuation plan ready just in case.
Lee is now a category five hurricane with winds of 160 mph. About 700 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. pic.twitter.com/l1ZlHXI0RH
— James Spann (@spann) September 8, 2023
IMAGERY FROM HURRICANE HUNTER
Fascinating view of the night sky looking UP from INSIDE the eye:
