COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tropical Storm Elsa is moving quickly across the Atlantic as it make a possible path toward the United States.
As of Thursday afternoon, the storm was located about 410 miles east-southeast of the Barbados. The storm had winds of 45 mph. It was moving very fast towards the west-northwest at 29 mph.
It's the fifth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Guadeloupe.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 36 hours.
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 36 hours.
Interests elsewhere in the Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti should monitor the progress of this system. Additional watches and warnings will likely be required later today.
According to the National Hurricane Center, tropical storm conditions are expected early tomorrow in portions of the Windward and southern Leeward Islands.
Heavy rainfall from the tropical system will move quickly across the Windward and southern Leeward Islands, including Barbados, tomorrow. Isolated flash flooding and mudslides are possible.
There is a risk of wind and rainfall impacts in parts of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba, the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas through early next week. Interests in these areas should monitor the system's progress and updates to the forecast.
Interests in Florida should also monitor updates to the forecast for Tropical Storm Elsa, but it is too soon to determine what if any impacts could occur there next week given the uncertainty in the long-range forecast.
