Stay up to date on Hurricane Lee, latest track and potential impacts

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - As of late Wednesday evening, Lee is a Category 2 hurricane.

Lee is forecast to maintain its Category 2 status through Thursday and drop to a Category 1 on Friday. Lee is forecast to enter the Gulf of Maine at a category 1 hurricane, but may weaken to a Tropical Storms before landfall. It looks like the center will track into Washington County or just east into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Regardless of where the center tracks, the wind and rain impacts will extend far from the center.

Coastal communities will see the greatest impacts from Lee. Maritime impacts would include large swells, the threat for storm surge, coastal erosion and strong winds. These impacts could start as soon as Wednesday and will only get worse into the weekend. Inland areas will have the greatest impacts Saturday and into Sunday. Locations farther inland will see less significant impacts.

A good idea to plan ahead and prepare for what could be on the way for the weekend.(wabi)

If Lee makes landfall in Maine as a Tropical Storm, this would be the first since 1991 when Bob made landfall in Rockland on August 20th. Winds were at 69 mph. Now if Lee remains a Hurricane, this would be the first time since 1969 when Gerda made landfall near Eastport on Sept. 10th. Winds were near 80 mph.

For the latest forecast from the First Alert weather center, click here.

The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center can be found here.