This post has been archived. For the updated forecast for Tropical Storm Elsa, click here.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The center of Tropical Storm Elsa is located near the southwestern coast of Haiti.
This fast-moving and disorganized storm is struggling to maintain its intensity due to wind shear and now interaction with land. The wind shear impacting the storm is due in large part to its fast forward pace which is not allowing the storm to develop a healthy vertical structure.
The storm now has maximum sustained winds of near 65 miles per hour. Elsa is still racing on a west-northwest path at 14 miles per hour and is expected to slow down some through today.
Near-hurricane conditions and dangerous storm surges are still expected in parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Hurricane conditions are also still possible for parts of eastern Cuba Sunday while central Cuba may see tropical storm conditions.
As of the 5 a.m. report, the NHC said there is an increased risk of tropical storm conditions, storm surge, and rainfall for south Florida this Tuesday. Elsa is expected to move northward through the peninsula through Wednesday before it reaches Georgia and the Carolinas.
However, the NHC said there is still uncertainty since Elsa’s path depends on the interactions with the Caribbean islands.
National Hurricane Center Warnings & Watches
Areas under a tropical storm warning:
- Southern portion of Haiti from Port Au Prince to the southern border with the Dominican Republic
- The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, and Cienfuegos
- Jamaica
Areas under a hurricane watch:
- The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba
Areas under a tropical storm watch:
- Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
- The Cuban provinces of Matanzas, Mayabeque, and Havana
- The Florida Keys from Craig Key westward to the Dry Tortugas