Elsa gains strength and puts islands in the Caribbean under a Tropical Storm Watch.
The National Hurricane Center says recent satellite wind data indicate maximum sustained winds are now nearly 45 mph with higher wind gust speeds.
Elsa is forecasted to gain even more strength over the next 48 hours. At this time Elsa is not a threat to Louisiana.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles, mainly to the north of the center.
Elsa is moving toward the west at about 28 mph.
An even faster motion toward the west-northwest is expected over the next 24 to 36 hours, said forecasters with the National Hurricane Center.
“On the forecast track, Elsa will pass near or over portions of the Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands on Friday, move into the eastern Caribbean Sea late Friday and Friday night, and move near the southern coast of Hispaniola on Saturday. By early Sunday Elsa is forecast to move near portions of eastern Cuba,” said forecasters in their 11:00 am advisory.
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The Hurricane Center says after that Elsa could go to either the Gulf side or Atlantic side of Florida by Tuesday.