NEWS ITEMS ON HURRICANE ELSA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6AM SATURDAY 3RD JULY, 2021

...ELSA NEARING THE SOUTH COAST OF HISPANIOLA...
 ...CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE THERE LATER THIS MORNING...

AT 5AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ELSA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.2 °NORTH AND LONGITUDE 69.0 ° WEST OR ABOUT 190 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF ISLA BEATA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC OR ABOUT 530 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON, JAMAICA.

ELSA IS MOVING QUICKLY TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 31 MILES PER HOUR (50 KM/H). A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY AND SUNDAY, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, ELSA WILL MOVE NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF HISPANIOLA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT, AND MOVE NEAR JAMAICA AND PORTIONS OF EASTERN CUBA ON SUNDAY.  BY MONDAY, ELSA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN CUBA AND HEAD TOWARD THE FLORIDA STRAITS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 75 MILES PER HOUR (120 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED TODAY BUT SLOW WEAKENING IS FORECAST ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY WHEN ELSE IS EXPECTED NEAR CUBA.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 12 NOON.
PREPARED BY FORECASTER: S. SEARS
6AM SATURDAY, 3RD JULY, 2021