TROPICAL Storm Elsa has formed into a category 1 Hurricane.
In an 11am update, Trinidad and Tobago Metrological Service (TTMS) has stated: “Hurricane Elsa was located approximately 235 km north-northwest of Tobago, centred near 13.4N 61.2W and moving towards the west – northwest near 46 km/hr. Maximum sustained winds are 120 km/hr with higher gusts.”
Elsa continued to move away from the Windward Islands.
Seas are rough with waves in open waters three metres to 3.5 metres in open waters and near 1.5 in sheltered areas.
The National Hurricane Center earlier on Friday stated that Elsa strengthened from a tropical storm into a Category 1 Hurricane.
The TTMS added that a Hurricane Warning is now in effect for the southern portion of Haiti from Port Au Prince to the southern border with the Dominican Republic. In addition, the Government of Jamaica has issued a Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning for Jamaica.
Hurricane Warnings are in effect for St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for Barbados, Martinique and Dominica.
The TTMS stated that periods of intermittent moderate/heavy rain and showers are now expected from later today with an 80 per cent chance of thunderstorm activity associated with feeder band and peripheral activity from Elsa.
There have also been reports of street and flash flooding in some parts of South and East Trinidad.
