Tropical Storm Elsa, the fifth named storm of the 2021 North Atlantic Hurricane season, continues to barrel towards the Eastern Caribbean on Thursday (July 1). 

The system, which has rapidly strengthened from tropical depression to tropical storm in the last three hours, had triggered tropical storm warnings for Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique and St Lucia. 

A tropical storm watch has also been activated for Grenada and its dependencies as well as Guadeloupe. 

As at 8:00 am Atlantic Standard Time (AST), Tropical Storm Elsa was located at latitude 9.6 North, longitude 50.2 West—or roughly 1,255 kilometres east-southeast of the Windward Islands. 

The storm is churning westerly at 41 kilometres/hour and is packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts.

The United States-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), in its 8:00 am advisory, said that tropical storm conditions and life-threatening floods could pose a danger to areas under the tropical storm warning, including Barbados. 

“Elsa is expected to produce rainfall totals of three to six inches with maximum totals of 8 inches on Friday across the Windward and southern Leeward Islands, including Barbados. This rain may lead to isolated flash flooding and mudslides,” the NHC explained.

On the forecast track, Elsa will pass near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands on Friday. 

The fast-moving storm is then expected to move into the eastern Caribbean Sea by late Friday before passing between Jamaica and the southern coast of Hispaniola on Saturday.

While projections of Elsa’s path show the system posing no direct threat to the island, the Jamaica Meteorological Service warns that the tropical storm’s impact could be felt as early as Saturday night as night-time showers drench eastern parishes.

The forecast for Sunday is bleak and wet, the Met Office continued, noting that mostly cloudy conditions, along with early morning showers will persist across eastern Jamaica. 

Widespread showers and thunderstorms with occasional gusty winds are in store across the island late morning and throughout the rest of the day.