2023 North Atlantic hurricane season
Hurricane Lee 2023
Recorded track and intensity from Sep 5, 2023 to Sep 18, 2023
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167 mph
Sep 8, 2023 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Track and intensity summary
Lee is listed in the North Atlantic basin for the 2023 season. Its archived track begins on Sep 5, 2023, 12:00 PM UTC at 12.2°N, 39.6°W. The first observation lists sustained winds of 35 mph. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.
The first Category 5 observation appears on Sep 8, 2023, 03:00 AM UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 167 mph, first recorded on Sep 8, 2023, 06:00 AM UTC at 17.5°N, 53°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 926 hPa on Sep 8, 2023, 06:00 AM UTC.
The full record spans 318 hours and approximately 4,680 mi along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 53°N, 42°W on Sep 18, 2023, 06:00 PM UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on Sep 16, 2023, 03:00 AM UTC.
US impacts by state
Selected NOAA Storm Events records for hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge events during this storm's archived track. Deaths and injuries include reported direct and indirect impacts. These records are incomplete, particularly for indirect deaths, and are not storm-wide totals. Other hazards and impacts outside the US are excluded.
| State or territory | Deaths | Injuries | Property damage (event-year USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | 1 | 1 | Not fully reported |
| Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | $11,700.00 |
Property damage is reported in dollars of the event year, without inflation adjustment; crop damage is excluded. A missing value is not zero. These figures do not replace the storm-wide estimates elsewhere on this page.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
Further reading
Official report (PDF) — National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report.
QUICK ANSWERS
Lee in brief
What was Hurricane Lee's highest wind speed?
167 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Sep 8, 2023, 06:00 AM UTC.
What category was Hurricane Lee?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Sep 8, 2023, 03:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Hurricane Lee's lowest pressure?
926 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Sep 8, 2023, 06:00 AM UTC.
When did Hurricane Lee occur?
The archived track runs from Sep 5, 2023, 12:00 PM UTC to Sep 18, 2023, 06:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Sep 5, 2023, 12:00 PM UTC to Sep 16, 2023, 03:00 AM UTC.
Where did Hurricane Lee form?
In the North Atlantic basin, in the 2023 season. Its first archived position is 12.2°N, 39.6°W on Sep 5, 2023, 12:00 PM UTC.
Did Hurricane Lee make landfall?
No archived position places Hurricane Lee's center over land, but positions are six-hourly and a brief landfall can fall between them.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology