Tropical Storm Elsa strengthened into a hurricane early Friday, July 2, 2021, and it still has Florida in sight for early next week, although the National Hurricane Center stressed that the forecast is uncertain this far out. Photo: NHC

According to the Department of Disaster Management, Elsa is approaching the Eastern Caribbean and residents of the Leeward Islands and [British] Virgin Islands should continue to monitor its progress. Photo: VINO/File

Closer targets, like the Lesser Antilles, are undoubtedly in the path of the storm. They’re bracing for several inches of rain and winds as strong as 75 mph, with higher gusts.

According to the Department of Disaster Management, Elsa is approaching the Eastern Caribbean and residents of the Leeward Islands and [British] Virgin Islands should continue to monitor its progress.

As of the 8:30 am Friday update, Elsa was a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and higher gusts that stretch up to 140 miles from the center, mainly to the north. Hurricane-force winds extended 25 miles from the center.

Elsa was about 40 miles west of Barbados and about 75 miles east of St Vincent.

Elsa could destabalise- NHC

It was still moving west quickly and NHC forecasters said its rapid pace — 28 mph — could destabilise the storm and stop it from strengthening into a hurricane in the days to come.

Elsa is forecast to pass near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands before moving across the eastern Caribbean Sea late Friday before moving near the southern coast of Hispaniola on Saturday. By Sunday, Elsa is forecast to move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba.

It’s forecast to near Florida by Monday or Tuesday.