NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The Atlantic remains active with two tropical cyclones and an invest likely to be named in the coming days.

With 13 named storms so far this season, five of which were hurricanes and three of those being considered major, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season has met the definition of “average” numbers already.

But we are far from being done with this tropical season and more names are expected to be crossed off the list.

Hurricane Lee set to make landfall soon

Lee is in the middle of the much-anticipated turn to the north. It’s a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph and is moving slowly at under 10 mph.

Impacts will be felt hundreds of miles away from the center as the wind field expands the farther north it traverses.

Those in Bermuda will be bracing for strong winds as the center of Lee will move just to their west. Breezy conditions have already started but the strongest winds moving over the island by Thursday.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect since strong tropical storm winds and hurricane force wind gusts are anticipated.

Lee will continue to move into cooler water and weaken on approach to land somewhere between New England and Nova Scotia.

Although weakening on approach, Lee will still pack a strong punch to areas not prone to seeing tropical storms or hurricanes. Strong tropical storm force winds and weak Category 1 gusts are possible once it makes landfall somewhere between Main and Nova Scotia.

A trough of low pressure will be digging into the Great Lakes region over the weekend. This will be responsible for pushing Lee towards Main and Nova Scotia.

If the trough moves in quickly (as advertised by the GFS) then Lee will be pushed toward the Canadian maritime. If the trough moves in slower (as the European model is projecting), it will allow Lee to move towards Maine.

Wave heights will also be dangerously high along the eastern seaboard as Lee makes the slow trek north. Wave heights of 10-15 ft are forecast from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to southern Massachusetts. North of there, wave heights are likely to be 15-20 ft onshore in the Bay of Maine. Out in the open water waves could be as high as around 50 ft.

Beach erosion, rip currents, and dangerous seas are likely all along the eastern coast and through much of the far western Atlantic through the weekend.

Hurricane Margot

The fifth hurricane of the season poses no threat to land and will stay out to sea. Other than swells to the Azores, Margot will disrupt ship traffic more than anything else.

It’s a Category 1 hurricane as of Wednesday afternoon and expected to weaken to a tropical storm for the weekend.

Invest 97-L likely to become Nigel

A tropical wave in the central Atlantic is becoming better organized with each day.

It is located several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and is moving to the west-northwest. It is expected to develop into a tropical depression or storm by this weekend.

While it’s too early for specifics, most models keep this storm out over the Atlantic. Those in Bermuda will want to monitor its path closely.

The next name on the list is Nigel, which this invest is likely to snatch up.

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