The hurricane Lee threatens to hit the Maritimes more quickly and with stronger winds than meteorologists predicted.
Chris Fogarty of the Canadian Hurricane Center now says the storm could have a “slightly faster approach speed” as it passes Cape Cod and arrives over western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick, Saturday or early Sunday.
As of 8 a.m. Wednesday local time, the Category 3 hurricane was in the northern Antilles, about 765 km south-southwest of Bermuda.
Lee is expected to continue moving northward and lose strength in the colder waters of the Atlantic, before making landfall in Canada, probably as a tropical storm.
But Fogarty’s forecast indicates the storm could make landfall with stronger-than-expected winds earlier in the week, increasing threats to western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick.
The Canadian Hurricane Center in Halifax will provide timely updates on potential storm surges around the Bay of Fundy and projected wind speeds.
Meteorological services predicted Tuesday that the storm could dump between 50 and 100 mm of rain on some areas.
The heaviest rain generally falls on the left side of the storm’s track – in this case: western New Brunswick and possibly north to eastern Quebec.
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