Elsa became the first hurricane of the Atlantic season — and may be heading to Florida

Elsa became the first hurricane of the Atlantic season — and may be heading to Florida The first hurricane of the Atlantic season on Friday hit the eastern Caribbean, where authorities closed schools, businesses and airports. It is expected to eventually make its way to Florida.

The Category 1 storm brought heavy rain and winds to Barbados and then to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which are struggling to recover from recent volcanic eruptions.

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Elsa's location was recorded about 5 miles north of St. Vincent, moving west to northwest at a speed of 29 miles per hour. Maximum winds were 75 mph, according to the Miami National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Cyclone #Elsa hit Barbados on Friday with sustained winds of 74 mph, according to @NHC_Atlantic.

The category 1 storm is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season pic.twitter.com/Z7nwEPCd46

— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) July 2, 2021

“Such strong winds can bring down many buildings and cause great damage,” said St. Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

“I beg you. Let's not take this hurricane lightly. Now is not the time to fool around.”

A hurricane warning was in place for St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as southern Haiti, from the capital Port-au-Prince to the southern border with the Dominican Republic.

The fast-moving storm is expected to hit Hispaniola as a hurricane before weakening back to tropical storm strength — and possibly heading to Florida by early Tuesday.

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