Elsa became a hurricane shortly before 8am today. Florida can expect Elsa to begin arriving sometime Monday.
You can track Elsa via this link from The Weather Channel. This includes spaghetti models, cone, forecasts.
It may be a holiday weekend, but South Florida can’t take a vacation from updates on Tropical Storm Elsa — which could pose a threat for virtually all of Florida early next week.
Friday features good sun and a few clouds in the morning with showers and some storms developing during the afternoon. Highs on Friday will be near 90 degrees (but feeling quite a bit hotter) in the east coast metro area and in the upper 80s along the Gulf coast.
LIVE RADAR 24/7 (Click Here Then Press Play)
Saturday will bring lots of sun with some clouds, a few showers, and maybe a storm in the mid to late afternoon. Saturday’s highs will be in the low 90s in the east coast metro area and the upper 80s along the Gulf coast.
The 4th of July will feature lots of sun and some mid to late afternoon clouds, showers, and storms. Look for an increasing risk of dangerous rip currents at the Atlantic beaches. Sunday’s highs will be in the low 90s.
Monday will see the approach of Tropical Storm Elsa, so look for early sun, building clouds, showers, and storms with gusty winds near the coasts and in the Keys. Monday’s highs will be in the upper 80s.
Tuesday’s forecast will depend on the track and intensity of Elsa. For now, we’ll say that the tropical storm’s closest approach will be between the evening hours on Monday to the afternoon on Tuesday — so look for periods of showers, storms, and periods of tropical storm force winds. Highs on Tuesday will be mostly in the mid-80s.
Tropical Storm Elsa
Tropical Storm Elsa was approaching the Windward Islands early on Friday. At 5 am, Elsa was located near 12.7 North, 58.6 West, about 70 miles east-southeast of Barbados. Maximum sustained winds were 60 miles per hour, and Elsa was zipping west-northwest at 28 miles per hour. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the coast of Haiti, and portions of the coast of the Dominican Republic. There’s a tropical storm watch for Jamaica.
Elsa is forecast to cross Cuba on Sunday into Monday as a tropical storm. Computer models are not in agreement in Elsa’s track after that, but it is likely that Elsa will move over or near the Florida Keys and travel very close to the Gulf coast before reaching land on Wednesday. Portions of the Keys could experience tropical storm gusts as early as Sunday night, as could the rest of South Florida in the early morning hours of Monday. Keep that in mind as you plan your 4th of July activities. Tropical storm watches and warnings are likely for at least portions of South Florida this weekend. Check your hurricane supplies and pay very close attention to the projected strength and track of Elsa this weekend.
