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 HURRICANEELSAWAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.2°NORTHAND LONGITUDE 69.0° WESTOR ABOUT 190MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF ISLA BEATA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC OR ABOUT 530 MILESEAST-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON,JAMAICA.

ELSA IS MOVING QUICKLY TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWESTNEAR 31 MILES PER HOUR(50KM/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.

MAXIMUMSUSTAINED WINDSHAVE DECREASED TO NEAR75MILES PER HOUR (120KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTEDTODAYBUTSLOW WEAKENINGIS FORECAST ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY WHEN ELSE IS EXPECTED NEAR CUBA.