Tropical Storm Elsa intensified Tuesday morning as the storm moved over the warm waters of the Florida Straits. Elsa now has winds of 60 mph with higher gusts. Elsa has started to turn more north with a forward motion of 10 mph to the NNW.

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Additional strengthening is likely Tuesday into Wednesday with Elsa nearing Hurricane status Wednesday morning before landfall just north of Tampa Bay. The current forecast calls for Elsa to make landfall as a strong Tropical Storm with sustained winds of 70 mph.

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Elsa will turn northeast, moving through Florida, southeast Georgia, eastern South Carolina, eastern North Carolina, followed by ocean reentry off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic. Elsa will weaken into a Tropical Depression as it tracks north through Georgia and the Carolinas mid to late week. Restrengthening into a Tropical Storm is possible Friday as the system moves back over waters.

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The main impact will be heavy rain to the east of the center of the storm, but isolated tornadoes and gusty winds are a hazard too. A detailed article on the impacts will come out later today.

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