Tropical storm Elsa nears Cuba

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 Center (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 center, 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.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2021