The freshly formed Tropical Storm Leslie is heading in the direction of the East Coast as it intensifies, current National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts predict. Low wind shear, as well as sea surface temperatures and atmospheric moisture, are key factors that affect whether a storm will intensify into a hurricane, and how strong that hurricane might get. Senior Academic Professional Zachary Handlos in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences says "tropical cyclones primarily thrive from the following atmospheric ingredients: warm sea surface temperatures and a sufficiently deep layer of warm water, all serving as a key source of energy for a tropical cyclone as well as weak middle and upper level atmospheric winds."