Newly formed Tropical Storm Margot is expected to become a hurricane next week, increasing the possibility of Hurricane Lee changing course, although it is still too early to predict whether the two major storms could approach each other in the Atlantic.

This phenomenon, when two storms orbit each other and rotate in the same direction, is called the Fujiohara effect. The National Weather Service describes it as “an intense dance around their common center.”

This could push them around the Atlantic Ocean and change their paths.

This phenomenon occurred with Hurricanes Hillary and Irwin in the eastern Pacific Ocean in 2017.

Lee was the first Category 5 hurricane of the Atlantic season this year when it quickly grew to Category 1 status within 24 hours this week. There have been seven other Category 5 Atlantic storms since 2016, including one – Michael – that made landfall in the United States in 2018.

Within 24 hours, Hurricane Lee intensified from Category 1 at 80 mph to Category 5 with winds of 160 mph, making it likely the fastest intensifying Atlantic storm on record.

Lee has since weakened to a Cat 3 storm and is expected to maintain strength through the weekend.

Hurricane Lee is “maintaining strength” as a recently downgraded Category 3 storm as it moves across the Atlanta perimeter with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph and higher gusts, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

“A slight change in strength is expected today, but a gradual recovery is expected on Sunday and Monday.” According to the consultation.

For the first time ever, Category 5 storms have formed in every tropical ocean basin in a single year.

Lee, which has since been downgraded to Category 3 as it cruised along the open Atlantic Ocean, accelerated from a Category 1 strength to Category 5 this week.

“I think it’s reasonable to assume that abnormally warm ocean temperatures around the world made this more likely to happen,” University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy Tell Washington Post. “It gives everything a boost.”

Hurricane Lee strengthened to a Category 5 storm within 24 hours this week, but was downgraded to Category 3 and is likely to lose strength throughout the day as it experiences wind shear.

The National Hurricane Center continues to stress that it is still “too early” to tell what impacts the storm could have, if any, along the east coast of the United States, and the storm could gain strength as it continues to move with sustained winds at 115 mph as of Saturday morning.

Dangerous and life-threatening rip currents are affecting parts of the Leeward Islands, according to the NHC. These conditions are expected to affect parts of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda over the weekend.

Some forecast models suggest that Hurricane Lee could graze the east coast of the United States — but the jury is still out.

“Regardless of this, dangerous waves and rough currents are expected along most of the eastern seaboard of the United States beginning Sunday,” the National Hurricane Center warned.

Lee is expected to continue to strengthen and has winds of up to 180 mph (290 kph).

Only seven Atlantic hurricanes have experienced winds of this magnitude since 1966, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Among those disasters was Hurricane Dorian, which hit the northern Bahamas in 2019 as a Category 5 storm, hovering over the smaller islands for about two days.

Lee is expected to continue to strengthen and has winds of up to 180 mph (290 kph).

Only seven Atlantic hurricanes have experienced winds of this magnitude since 1966, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Among those disasters was Hurricane Dorian, which hit the northern Bahamas in 2019 as a Category 5 storm, hovering over the smaller islands for about two days.