Hurricane Elsa, first Atlantic hurricane of 2021, roars through Lesser Antilles
The first Atlantic hurricane of the year, Hurricane Elsa, roared through the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles islands on Friday morning. Elsa intensified into a category 1 storm with 75 mph winds while passing just south of Barbados at 7:15 a.m. EDT Friday. Elsa 35-mph increase in winds in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. EDT Friday met the National Hurricane Center’s minimum definition of rapid intensification.
The Meteorological Service of Barbados reported sustained winds of 74 mph, gusting to 86 mph, near 7:30 a.m. EDT, as the northern eyewall of Elsa passed over the southern portion of the island. The Barbados airport reported top sustained winds of 63 mph, gusting to 86 mph, at 7:18 a.m. EDT. Elsa brought heavy rains to the island; the highest rainfall amount from the Weather Underground personal weather station network on Barbados was 4.68” as of 11 a.m. EDT Friday.
At 2 p.m. EDT Friday, Elsa was centered 95 miles west-northwest of the island of St. Vincent, speeding west-northwest at 29 mph across the eastern Caribbean. The Hurricane Hunters found that Elsa was continuing to intensify, with top winds of 85 mph and a central pressure of 991 mb.
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/07/hurricane-elsa-first-atlantic-hurricane-of-2021-roars-through-lesser-antilles/
Much more by Jeff Masters with Bob Henson at the link.
= new reply since forum marked as read
