Parts of Massachusetts, New England in Hurricane Lee forecast

Hurricane Lee continues to move over the Atlantic Ocean and is a Category 3 storm as of Tuesday. It’s still uncertain whether the storm will impact the New England coast, but part of the Maine coast is in the forecast cone.

As of Tuesday at 5 p.m., winds were reaching 115 mph and were moving northwest at 7 mph. The storm is expected to move north, passing between the east coast and Bermuda.

“Interests in the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada should monitor the progress of Hurricane Lee,” the National Hurricane Center said.

“The track on this forecast cone is close to 500 miles wide, but the western edge of that includes the Outer Cape and Nantucket,” StormTeam 5 meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon said. “It will likely pass offshore, but how far offshore will depend on the impact.”

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If the storm moves to the west side of the forecast cone, it could have more significant impacts with wind and rain. A path toward the east side of the cone could bring gusty winds, strong waves, and large surf to the Massachusetts coast.

“We’ll now put it at about a 10 to 20% chance of some tropical storm force winds reaching the Cape and islands,” said AJ Burnett, StormTeam 5 meteorologist.

StormTeam 5 is monitoring Saturday and Sunday for possible impacts.

“Seas will rise 5 to 10 feet as we head into Friday and Saturday. The current rupture risk is highest toward the Cape and Islands for the remainder of the week as well,” Burnett said.

Hurricane Lee evolved from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in just one day last week, before gradually losing some of its strength.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been set up for Bermuda, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.