(Miami, FL) -- Tropical Storm Elsa is dealing with the high mountains of Cuba and Jamaica before moving into the Florida Straits. The National Hurricane Center says the storm's maximum sustained winds are holding at 60-mph while the center moves northwest at 14-miles-per-hour.
The storm could make landfall in the Florida Keys on Monday before traveling up the state's Gulf Coast and coming ashore again near Pasco County. Elsa will keep dumping heavy rains on Florida through Wednesday.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin,
Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa
Clara, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Mayabeque, and Havana
* Jamaica
* The Florida Keys from Craig Key westward to the Dry Tortugas
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin,
Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
* West coast of Florida from Bonita Beach to the Suwannee River
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
* The Cuban province of Artemisa
* The Florida Keys from east of Craig Key to Ocean Reef
* Florida Bay
* West coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Anclote
River
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area.
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours
before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force
winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or
dangerous.
A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-
threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the
coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.
For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather
Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at
hurricanes.gov.
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are
possible within the watch area.
Interests elsewhere in the Florida peninsula should monitor the
progress of Elsa. Additional watches and warnings will likely be
required tonight or early Monday.
For storm information specific to your area in the United
States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please
monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service
forecast office. For storm information specific to your area
outside of the United States, please monitor products issued by
your national meteorological service.
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
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At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Elsa was
located near latitude 19.8 North, longitude 77.9 West. Elsa is
moving toward the northwest near 14 mph (22 km/h), and this
general motion is expected to continue through Monday followed by a
turn toward the north-northwest on Tuesday. On the forecast track,
Elsa will continue to move near or over eastern Cuba this
evening, and approach central Cuba tonight and early Monday. Elsa
is expected to move across central and western Cuba and head toward
the Florida Straits on Monday and pass near the Florida Keys early
Tuesday. Elsa is then forecast to move near or over portions of
the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts.
Some strengthening is expected before Elsa moves over Cuba,
followed by some weakening while the center moves over land.
Slight restrengthening is possible after Elsa moves over the
southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km)
from the center.
Image courtesy the National Hurricane Center