MIAMI, Florida – The first named hurricane for this Atlantic Hurricane Season was formed on Friday as Tropical Storm Elsa strengthened as it moved near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that hurricane conditions were spreading through the Windward Islands and is located 40 miles west of Barbados and 75 miles east of St. Vincent.
The hurricane has sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (mph) and a hurricane warning has been issued for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Martinique, the southern coast of Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the border with Haiti and the entire coast of Haiti .
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Grenada and its dependencies, Saba and Sint Eustatius, Jamaica and Dominica.
“Interests elsewhere in the Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba should monitor the progress of Elsa. Additional watches and warnings will likely be required later today, including Hurricane Warnings for portions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
In its latest bulleting, the NHC said that the center of Hurricane Elsa was located near latitude 13.1 North, longitude 60.1 Wes and is moving towards the west-northwest near 28 mph.
The NHC said that on this motion, the hurricane is expected to continue during the next couple of days.
“On the forecast track, Elsa will pass near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands this morning, move across the eastern Caribbean Sea late today and tonight, and move near the southern coast of Hispaniola on Saturday. By Sunday, Elsa is forecast to move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba.”
Reports from Barbados indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.
Hurricane conditions are occurring on Barbados, and are expected in the hurricane warning area in the Windward Islands in the next few hours. Tropical storm conditions are expected in portions of the Windward and southern Leeward Islands within the tropical storm warning areas and are possible in the tropical storm watch areas later today.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning areas in the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Saturday, with hurricane conditions possible in southern Haiti. Tropical storm conditions are possible in Jamaica Saturday night or early Sunday.
The NHC said the storm surge will raise water levels by as much as one to three feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds in the hurricane warning area in the Windward Islands and along the southern coast of Hispaniola.
Hurricane Elsa is expected to produce rainfall totals of three to six inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches today across the Windward and southern Leeward Islands, including Barbados. This rain may lead to isolated flash flooding and mudslides.
