Tropical Storm Leslie Maintains Strength In Central Atlantic

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Tropical Storm Leslie is maintaining its strength as it moves in the Central Atlantic.

At 11 p.m. Leslie was centered about 570 miles East of Bermuda.

Leslie is moving toward the southwest near 5 mph, and a slow southwestward or south-southwestward motion is expected through Wednesday.

A turn to the north-northeast is forecast to occur by Thursday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher gusts.

Gradual strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours, and Leslie is likely to become a hurricane Tuesday night.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles from the center.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

SURF:  Large swells generated by Leslie will continue to affect portions of the southeastern coast of the United States, Bermuda, and the Bahamas.

These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Although the swells are forecast to abate temporarily in the Bahamas Tuesday, they are expected to increase again Wednesday and Thursday and propagate farther southward into the Greater and Lesser Antilles.