Title: Hurricane Lee Strengthens as it Tracks West-Northwest

Introduction:
As Hurricane Lee continues to gain strength, its path is projected to take it towards the west-northwest direction. The hurricane’s current trajectory suggests that it will remain well clear of the northern Leeward Islands, including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Rewritten First Section:
Hurricane Lee, with sustained winds of approximately 150 mph and gusts even higher, has intensified into a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. While slight fluctuations in intensity may occur in the coming days, Lee is anticipated to remain a powerful hurricane throughout the week.

Following the west-northwest track, Hurricane Lee is projected to pass safely to the north of the northern Leeward Islands, including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, over the course of the weekend and early next week.

Continuation:
The area impacted by the hurricane extends 35 miles from its center, with hurricane-force winds, while tropical-storm-force winds can be felt up to 150 miles away. The minimum central pressure, based on dropsonde data, measures 942 mb or 27.82 inches.

Furthermore, the effects of Hurricane Lee are anticipated to reach portions of the Lesser Antilles on Friday before moving towards the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda over the weekend. As these swells arrive, they are expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Consequently, dangerous surf and rip currents are also anticipated along the majority of the U.S. East Coast, beginning on Sunday.

Conclusion:
As Hurricane Lee strengthens and charts its course towards the west-northwest, it is expected to bypass the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. However, its powerful winds will still pose a significant threat to a vast region including the Lesser Antilles, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and several other territories. It is crucial for coastal areas along the U.S. East Coast to remain vigilant as potentially hazardous surf and rip currents are anticipated in the coming days.