
5 July 2021.
Introduction:
Tropical Storm Elsa strengthened on July 3, 2021 and its center approached south-central Cuba.
Highlights
- Caribbean Island government issued hurricane warnings in provinces of Cienfuegos and Matanzas.
- According to U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast, Tropical Storm Elsa would strengthen more before moving over Cuba.
- As per data of NHC, maximum sustained winds were near 100 km per hour with higher gusts.
About Hurricane Elsa
- Elsa is an active tropical cyclone which is affecting and threatening portions of Caribbean and South-eastern United States.
- It is the fifth named storm and first hurricane of Atlantic hurricane season 2021. On June 29, Elsa was first monitored by National Hurricane Centre (NHC) as a tropical wave.
- It was then designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone.
- As the storm showed better-defined low-level circulation, cyclone was upgraded to tropical depression and later, to Tropical Storm Elsa.
- Storm Elsa was upgraded to Category 1 hurricane.
- It is the strongest July hurricane in eastern Caribbean Sea after Hurricane Emily in 2005.
- It is also the fastest-moving Atlantic tropical cyclone.
National Hurricane Center (NHC)
- NHC is a division of United States’ National Weather Service which is responsible to track and predict tropical weather systems between Prime Meridian & 140th meridian to 30th parallel north in northeast Pacific Ocean & 31st parallel north in northern Atlantic Ocean.
- It is located with Miami branch of National Weather Service and is established on campus of Florida International University in University Park, Florida.
Tropical cyclone
- It is a rapidly rotating storm system. It is characterized by low-pressure centre, strong winds, closed low-level atmospheric circulation and spiral arrangement of thunderstorms producing heavy rain.
- Based on location and strength, tropical cyclone is referred by different names like hurricane typhoon, tropical storm, tropical depression, cyclonic storm or cyclone.
- Hurricane is a tropical cyclone occurring in Atlantic Ocean and north-eastern Pacific Ocean. Typhoon occurs in north-western Pacific Ocean.