After undergoing a rapid intensification, Hurricane Elsa is now expected to enter the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach Florida next week, forecasters said Saturday.
July 3 (UPI) — After undergoing a rapid intensification, Hurricane Elsa is now expected to enter the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach Florida next week, forecasters said Saturday. Elsa underwent rapid intensification early Friday morning and became the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season as it raced toward the Caribbean islands. Within 24 hours, Elsa went from tropical-storm strength with 40-mph winds to a Category 1 hurricane with 75-mph winds. By its maximum sustained winds increasing by at least 35 mph within 24 hours, the storm’s strengthening just met the criteria set by the National Hurricane Center to qualify as «rapid intensification.» AccuWeather forecasters are keeping a close eye on the strengthening hurricane as it is expected to approach the United States after moving through the Caribbean through the weekend.
