Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

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 has strengthened into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean and forecasters say it's expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane by this weekend.

, the National Hurricane Center said Lee has winds of 80 mph and is moving toward the Leeward Islands. Forecasters are already using stark language about the storm and its prospects.

"It is becoming a question of when and not if rapid intensification occurs with Lee," 

 noted. Winds are forecast to reach 155 mph which is a high-end 

 'major hurricane' with the possibility of "explosive intensification."

This already is a 15 mph increase from the 

 on Tuesday. The reason for the higher wind speed is the above-average water temperatures in the area of the Atlantic the storm is churning through. "The system should be moving over record-warm waters ... east of the Lesser Antilles." Forecasters say those kinds of water temperatures are what they typically see in the Gulf of Mexico — not in the much cooler ocean.

This forecast — so far out in the Atlantic — with a prediction of 

. Still, it's too early to say with any certainty exactly where this storm will go.

 - missing the Caribbean and remaining offshore of the United States. While models are generally accurate, they're not perfect. 

, in 2017, was supposed to follow a similar path - but instead walloped the Gulf coast of Florida.

Even if Lee misses land, forecasters say 

 "are expected to reach portions of the Lesser Antilles on Friday, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions."

Lee is the the 13th named storm of what is an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. As 

 notes, only "4 other years on record have had 13+ Atlantic named storms by Sept. 5: 2005, 2011, 2012, 2020."  

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Lee has strengthened into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean and forecasters say it's expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane by this weekend.

Lee is a hurricane now and will be a 'major' storm soon — with 155 mph winds or more

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