Tropical Storm Elsa formed early Thursday east of the Windward Islands and is forecast to pass south of the U.S. Virgin Islands Friday, according to the latest forecast models. It is currently projected to pass 220 miles south of the U.S. Virgin Islands late Friday.
“There is a risk of wind and rainfall impacts in portions of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba, the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas through early next week,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
“Interests in these areas should monitor the system’s progress and updates to the forecast,” the NHC said.
The storm is expected to pass over Barbados Friday morning before moving across the Windward Islands in the afternoon, then track west-northwest from the southeastern Caribbean late Friday and be in the vicinity of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico early Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center forecast.
Meanwhile, disorganized showers and thunderstorms continue in association with a tropical wave that was located over the Lesser Antilles on Wednesday, the center reported.
That system is moving quickly westward across the Caribbean Sea but was forecast to bring locally heavy rainfall through Wednesday night, the center said.
Hazardous marine conditions are expected, with seas of 5 to 7 feet and up to 9 feet in the Atlantic, and 6 to 8 feet and up to 10 feet in the Caribbean.
