Currently in Miami — September 8, 2023: Lee to steer clear

The weather, currently.

All good things must come to an end, as will this stretch of pleasant, less humid days here in South Florida this week. A resurgence of moisture on Friday will bring dew points back into the mid to upper 70s, which combined with temperatures in the low to mid 90s will eliminate the fresher feel to the air, although it won’t quite reach Heat Advisory level. The increased moisture will also feed scattered shower and thunderstorm activity on Friday afternoon with the focus turning inland. Saturday and Sunday will be similar in terms of heat and rain. Hurricane Lee is expected to veer northward before it would reach the Bahamas, so no direct impacts are expected in South Florida.

El tiempo, actualmente.

Todo lo bueno llega a su fin, al igual que esta racha de días agradables y menos húmedos en el sur de Florida esta semana. Un resurgimiento de la humedad el viernes impulsará los puntos de rocío nuevamente a los rangos medio a alto de los 70 grados, lo que combinado con temperaturas en los rangos bajo a medio de los 90 eliminará la sensación de aire menos caliente. El aumento de humedad también alimentará la actividad dispersa de aguaceros y tormentas eléctricas el viernes por la tarde, centrándose en el interior. El sábado y el domingo serán similares en términos de calor y lluvia. Se espera que el huracán Lee vire hacia el norte antes de llegar a las Bahamas, así que no se esperan impactos directos en el sur de Florida.

—John Morales

What you need to know, currently.

The 2023 hurricane season continues on a hyperactive pace.

On Thursday, Hurricane Lee underwent textbook rapid intensification from a Category 1 to a Category 4 in just 12 hours. It’s expected to become a Category 5 on Friday — and potentially one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical Storm Margot also formed on Thursday, way out off the coast of Africa — the season’s 14th storm of the year so far, matching the historical average for an entire season with nearly a week to go until the season’s midpoint.

Since Atlantic records began in 1851, only three other season have had 14 named storms this early in the year — 2005, 2011, 2020. Only 1933, 2004, and 2005 have had 3 or more Cat 4+ hurricanes so early in the year. If you know your hurricanes, you know that those seasons are not the ones you want to be compared against.

It’s likely that Hurricane Lee will stay relatively safely offshore for at least the next 7 days or so, although some models have it coming worryingly close to New England or Atlantic Canada by September 17th or 18th.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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