Leslie set to become next hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean

As the month of October begins, typically the Atlantic Ocean basin becomes quieter with fewer tropical storms and hurricanes. Long-lived Leslie will be the exception to that rule for the first week in October.

AccuWeather meteorologists began tracking the subtropical system, which eventually became Leslie, on Sept. 23. On Sept. 29, Leslie was officially named a tropical storm.

During this time, Leslie has not moved much, hovering above the waters of the central Atlantic for the past week. A similar scenario is likely for this first week in October.

“Leslie will slowly drift southward through Tuesday and is likely to become a hurricane by the middle of the week,”

said AccuWeather Meteorologist Steve Travis.

As it moves southward, Leslie will find itself in slightly warmer waters, which will help to fuel and strengthen the system.

Squeezed in between two high pressure systems, Leslie is forecast to remain over open waters of the Atlantic, posing no threat to any landmasses.

Leslie could bring larger waves across the Atlantic, which could impact Bermuda throughout the week. Strong rip currents are possible on the island, as well.

The only hope to break the pattern will be a strong front.

"A front will move through the North Atlantic during the middle to latter part of the week and likely mark an end to Leslie's southward motion,"

added Travis.

However, there is a chance this front might not be enough to release Leslie from the grip of the two high pressure systems. Should this be the case, Leslie may meander in the central Atlantic Ocean into next week.

When Leslie finally does leave the central Atlantic, there is the potential that the moisture could be drawn up through the Azores and into Europe.

Leslie is the 12th named system that has developed in the Atlantic Basin for the 2018 tropical season, and it could be a while longer before the next system.

Several tropical waves are scheduled to push along the Atlantic and toward the Caribbean over the next week. While this could bring some waves of moisture to islands in the Caribbean Sea, the environment does not currently support any strengthening tropical systems.

Should any tropical waves overcome the odds and become the next tropical storm, it would be given the name Michael.