Hurricane Lee Intensifies to Category 5

Hurricane Lee has become a Category 5 storm—the first of the Atlantic season—according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Hurricane Lee (R) off in the central tropical Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 6, 2023. NOAA via AP

Hurricane Lee has become a Category 5 storm—the first of the Atlantic season—according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

In a public advisory at 11 p.m. AST (11 p.m. ET), the Miami-based hurricane center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h), which makes it a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson intensity scale.