…OUTER BANDS OF ELSA TO BRING GUSTY WINDS & ROUGH SEAS…
At 11AM (1500 UTC), Hurricane Elsa was located about 345miles southeast of St. Maarten. The hurricane is moving toward the west-north west near 28mph (44km/h)and this motion is expected to continue during the next couple of days. On this forecast track, the center of Elsa is forecast to pass about 260miles (420km) south of St. Maarten tonight.
Maximum sustained winds are near 75mph (120km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours.
At 11:10am this morning, a wind gust of 32 knots (37 mph) was reported at PJIA. Although Elsa remains no direct threat to St. Maarten, it is expected to cause the following effects.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND:
WIND: Windy conditions are expected over the local area with gusts up to 45mph (72km/h) through the next 12-24 hours.
SEAS: Rough seas can also be expected with swells up to 12feet. A small craft warning is now in effect until further notice.
RAINFALL: Hurricane Elsa could produce isolated showers through Saturday over the local area. These showers may be accompanied by thunder; however, flooding is unlikely.
Residents and visitors are advised to remain vigilant, use caution outdoors, and monitor all subsequent updates.
