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.
Comments