Tropical Storm Leslie is intensifying and on track towards the East Coast, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Currently, Leslie has winds of 40 mph and is expected to become a hurricane by Saturday.
The storm, which formed in the Central Atlantic following Hurricane Kirk, was named late Wednesday night as it gained strength.
The NHC noted, “Leslie is expected to strengthen and become a hurricane in the coming days.” As it moves westward tonight, a shift to a faster west-northwest motion is anticipated on Friday and Saturday.
National Hurricane Center NHC / CIRA/NOAA
Leslie has developed close to the path of Hurricane Kirk, which is speeding away. This growing distance may actually aid Leslie’s strengthening process, as it will experience lower wind shear.
The NHC mentioned, “As Kirk moves away, the wind shear over Leslie should lessen, creating a better environment for strengthening in warm, moist conditions.”
Factors like low wind shear, warm sea surface temperatures, and high atmospheric moisture all contribute to how a storm strengthens into a hurricane.
For a tropical cyclone to form properly, there must also be adequate moisture in the atmosphere and it generally needs to develop at least 5 degrees from the equator to harness Earth’s rotational effects.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Kirk, now a Category 3 storm with winds reaching 120 mph, has shifted its course north and is moving across the Atlantic towards Ireland and the U.K.
National Hurricane Center NHC
Even though Kirk won’t make landfall in the U.S., its effects will still be felt along the East Coast, producing high surf.
The NHC specified, “Swells from Kirk are spreading and are expected to impact the Leeward Islands on Friday, with Bermuda and the Greater Antilles getting waves on Saturday, and the east coast of the U.S. and the Bahamas by Sunday. This may lead to dangerous surf and rip currents.”
If Leslie takes a similar route to Kirk, it may not achieve maximum strength due to the cooler waters left behind by the previous hurricane.
The NHC stated, “Leslie’s intensity may level off if it follows Kirk’s path and encounters that cooler wake.”