At 5:00 a.m. Saturday, Lee remains a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mile per hour sustained winds with higher gusts. Small changes in strength are expected this weekend, with Lee’s core moving north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico this weekend and early next week.

Lee is tracking to the west-northwest at 12 mph. This forward motion is expected to remain the same through Friday. Dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents are likely in the northern Leeward Islands beginning Friday. These conditions will spread westward, affecting Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas through the weekend.

The GFS and European global models for next Thursday evening continue to turn Lee to the north as Margot aids to weaken a ridge of High Pressure in the Atlantic, allowing Lee to make the turn. The two models are more consistent in Lee’s track then Margot’s. Although the core of Lee is expected to not get close to Florida, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along most of the U.S. East Coast (including Florida) beginning Sunday. 

And since we brought it up, Tropical Storm Margot is a minimal tropical storm at 5:00 a.m. Saturday, but has slightly strengthened overnight. The maximum winds are 45 mph, and Margot will likely become a hurricane by the start of the next work week. Margot will be a “fish storm” as it tracks into the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Get the “ABC7 WX” app on your phone to track along with Your Most Accurate Forecast Team at ABC7 News. We update the forecast and Hurricane Guide with the latest information as we get it. “ABC7 WX” is FREE wherever you get your apps!