US Weather Agency Issues Warning As Caribbean Cyclone Season Opens With Hurricane Elsa

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd July, 2021) The US National Hurricane Center issued a warning advisory on Friday to the Caribbean island nations of Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as Elsa, the first cyclone of the season, strengthens into a hurricane.�

"Surface observations from Barbados indicate that Elsa's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph, and the cyclone is now a hurricane. A special advisory will be issued within the hour in place of the normal intermediate advisory," the National Hurricane Center said in a forecast on Friday.

The Meteorological Service of St. Lucia has also issued a hurricane warning while the Barbados service reported wind gusts up to 86 mph.

On May 20, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its 2021 Atlantic hurricane season outlook predicting a 60% chance of an above-normal season between June and November,� a 30% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season with a likely range of 13 to 20 named storms, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes.