MESSAGE:
Tropical Storm Elsa strengthens into a hurricane. Hurricane conditions spreading through the Windward Islands.
PRESENT LOCATION:
About 40 miles or 65 km W of Barbados
About 75 miles or 120 km E of St. Vincent
HURRICANE WARNING:
Barbados
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
TROPICAL STORM WARNING:
Martinique
The southern coast of Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the border with Haiti
Entire coast of Haiti

HURRICANE WATCH:
Southern portion of Haiti from Port Au Prince to the southern border with the Dominican Republic
TROPICAL STORM WATCH:
Grenada and its dependencies
Saba and Sint Eustatius
Jamaica
Dominica
SITUATION:
According to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC), Miami, Florida at 8:30 a.m. AST, the center of Hurricane Elsa was located near latitude 13.1 North, longitude 60.1 West. Elsa is moving toward the west-northwest near 28 mph (44 km/h), and this motion 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 (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km). Barbados recently reported sustained winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) and a wind gust of 86 mph (138 km/h).
The estimated minimum central pressure is 995 mb (29.39 inches). Barbados recently reported a pressure of 998 mb (29.47 inches).
WIND:
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.
RAINFALL:
Elsa is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 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.