Leslie finally shows signs of movement in Atlantic Ocean
Leslie, which has been wandering the waters of the central Atlantic Ocean since late September, is finally on the move this week.
Leslie has been dancing around the central Atlantic since being officially named on Sept. 23.
Despite its longevity, the main dangers so far from the storm have been large waves threatening ships with routes through the region.
Swells propagating away from the storm have recently stirred up rough seas at the beaches of the U.S. East Coast, Atlantic Canada and Bermuda.
Conditions will improve at the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada beaches into Monday as Leslie finally gets a nudge to the south and east.
"After sitting and spinning nearly stationary last week, Leslie is finally on the move as it will track to the east and southeast over the next few days," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
"The track should keep it well away from land for now, but over waters just warm enough that Leslie should remain a tropical storm," he said.
Seas may gradually improve around Bermuda early this week as Leslie departs. Swells, however, may keep seas rough for swimmers and operators of small craft at the east- and north-facing coastal areas of the Caribbean Islands through much of the upcoming week.
"By late this week or the coming weekend, Leslie may turn northward again and be absorbed by a larger non-tropical storm," according to Pydynowski. "That could take Leslie near or south of the Azores."
Another scenario is that Leslie will miss the connection northward and impact the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa late in the week.
Ironically in this solution, Leslie may end up not far to the north of where many tropical storms and hurricanes have started their journey across the Atlantic. The waters off the west coast of Africa (more southward near the Cabo Verde Islands) are a typical tropical breeding ground.
It is also possible that Leslie tracks eastward to a point where it remains in between these two island chains but then curves back westward into the open waters of the Atlantic.
Hurricane Ginger from 1971 holds record at 27 days for the longest-living tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin since the satellite era began in 1961.
Sunday marks the 15th consecutive day of Leslie churning over the central Atlantic Ocean, but the storm lost its tropical characteristics for a time between Sept. 25-28.
Leslie came back to life as a tropical storm to end September and briefly strengthened to a hurricane on Wednesday, Oct. 3.
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