Evidence of cool upwelled water in the wake of Leslie
AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature Estimates
Tropical Storm / Hurricane Leslie moved very slowly over the western tropical Atlantic Ocean between 6 September and 7 September (see, for example, this graphics animation from the National Hurricane Center, and the storm track from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site below). Strong winds associated with the cyclonic circulation around a hurricane or tropical storm will cause upwelling, forcing cooler waters to the surface. An AWIPS image of the POES AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature (SST) product above shows the result: SST values as cool as 67.9º F (green color enhancement) occur southeast of Bermuda (TXKF) around 26 N, 63 W, the region through which Leslie had moved very slowly over the course of several days. Such cool water upwelling limits the intensification potential of tropical cyclones that move slowly.
Track of Tropical Storm Leslie