Environment and Climate Change Canada to hold a media availability regarding Hurricane Lee

Gatineau, Quebec – September 13, 2023 – Media representatives are advised that Environment and Climate Change Canada will hold a media availability to provide updated information about Hurricane Lee.

Due to the current high volume of media enquiries relating to Hurricane Lee, our meteorologists will not be available to participate in interviews regarding Hurricane Lee on Thursday, September 14, 2023.

The media availability is for attribution and may be recorded.

Event: Media Availability
Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. (ADT) / 12:00 p.m. (EDT)
Location: Via Zoom

To join the media availability, please follow the Zoom link.

Note to media: When joining the media availability on Zoom, media representatives interested in asking a question are asked to change their screen names to include their full name and media outlet. Unidentified participants will not be called upon.

According to the most recent update from Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologists:

• At 3:00 p.m. (ADT) on September 13, 2023, Hurricane Lee was located about 675 km to the south-southwest of Bermuda and moving northwestward at about 25 km/h. Lee had a central pressure of 953 mb with sustained winds of approximately 95 knots (175 km/h) keeping Lee as a Category 2 at the moment.
• Lee’s anticipated northward trajectory has commenced and is expected to accelerate, with gradual weakening of the hurricane as it passes over colder ocean waters. The expectation at the Canadian Hurricane Centre is that Lee will enter the Canadian response zone late Friday afternoon as a Category 1 hurricane and reach extreme marine districts Saturday morning as a marginal Category 1 storm. Landfall is forecasted to take place near Grand Manan (NB) approximately at midnight (ADT) as a post-tropical storm and track northeastward across the Maritimes on Sunday morning.
• Overall, model guidance has been predicting Lee’s track toward Atlantic Canada since the middle of last week, although with a wide range of outcomes in terms of the path the storm will take. As we approach the arrival of Lee to Atlantic Canada, models have shown a more consistent signal indicating a track heading toward the western portions of Atlantic Canada, but with continued uncertainty with respect to the forward speed and intensity of the system.
• At this juncture, there is a better consensus on the track and intensity but, given how far Lee remains from the region, significant changes to the track and intensity could manifest and all regions across Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec need to remain vigilant and monitor the situation carefully.
• Despite this uncertainty over the track of Lee and the forward speed of the system, significant rainfall amounts are expected over portions of the Maritimes. These accumulations are forecasted to reach and likely exceed rainfall warning levels. Winds associated with Lee will also likely warrant wind warnings across the region. The areas most likely to be impacted include Halifax and westward, most of New Brunswick, portions of Prince Edward Island, and eastern Quebec (Rimouski and eastward).
• Given the wet weather experienced in the Martimes this summer, soil conditions remain heavily saturated and rapid rainfall could result in localized flooding. Additionally, as trees are in full foliage, strong winds could uproot trees leading to power outages across the regions closest to the track of the storm. While it remains early to predict with a high degree of confidence, there is a significant possibility of high waves, pounding surf and some storm surge along parts of the Atlantic coast and potentially along the Bay of Fundy.

For the most recent forecast, please visit Environment and Climate Change Canada’s weather website.

With climate change, the average intensity of hurricanes is expected to increase, though we do not expect an increase in the total number of tropical cyclones. Canadians need to be prepared and to pay attention to forecasts, watches and warnings from credible sources. The latest forecasts and warnings are available on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s weather website, as well as on the WeatherCAN app (available for Android and iOS devices).