The cloud bands from Tropical Storm Elsa are affecting the eastern region of Cuba.  In the southeastern portion, sustained winds with tropical storm force have been registered during the morning, between 60 and 70 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour.

In recent hours, Tropical Storm Elsa has continued to move west-northwest at 20 kilometers per hour, with little change in intensity.  Its central pressure has risen slightly to 1009 hectoPascal and the maximum sustained winds have decreased to 95 kilometers per hour.

At noon today, the center of tropical storm Elsa was estimated at 18.8 degrees North latitude and 77.0 degrees West longitude, a position that places it 130 kilometers southeast of Cabo Cruz, Granma.

In the next 12 to 24 hours, Tropical Storm Elsa will continue with a similar direction and speed of translation.  As it passes through the Strait of Colón, it could gain something more in organization with fluctuations in its intensity.  In the afternoon of this Sunday, it will travel over or very close to the extreme west of Granma and later through the seas to the south of Las Tunas, Camagüey and the provinces of the central region of Cuba.

Gradually the intensity of the wind and the height of the waves will begin to increase near the southern eastern portion of Cuba.  The winds will blow with speeds between 60 and 75 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts that will reach tropical storm force of up to 100 kilometers per hour.

Strong swells will continue from Cabo Cruz to Punta de Maisí, with waves between 4 and 6 meters high and from light to moderate coastal flooding, mainly in Santiago de Cuba and Granma.  From the end of the morning, the light floods will move to the Gulf of Guacanayabo and later, from the afternoon, to the south coast of the central region of Cuba.

The next tropical cyclone warning will be issued at three in the afternoon on Sunday.