The clouds associated with tropical storm Elsa cover the eastern and central regions and even the province of Matanzas.  Power bands are generating heavy drizzles and rains over the eastern half of the country.  At the Cilantro dam, in Pilón, it continued to rain and in just four hours 122 millimeters accumulated, also in the last six hours 92 millimeters accumulated in Cabo Cruz, both locations in the province of Granma.

In the south eastern portion, sustained winds with tropical storm force have been recorded during the afternoon.  The Cabo Cruz meteorological station reported sustained winds of 80 kilometers per hour, with a maximum gust of 98 kilometers per hour.

At nine o'clock tonight, the center of tropical storm Elsa was estimated at 20.3 degrees North latitude and 78.9 degrees West longitude, a position that places it about 105 kilometers, southeast of Casilda, Sancti Spíritus province.

Elsa maintains a northwesterly course, slightly increasing her travel speed to 22 kilometers per hour, with little change in intensity.  Its maximum sustained winds are 95 kilometers per hour, although its central pressure has decreased to 1005 hectoPascal.

In the next 12 to 24 hours, Tropical Storm Elsa will continue heading northwest, with a similar speed of translation and could gain slightly in organization and intensity before penetrating land, at a point on the south central coast.  Clouds and rains will continue to affect the eastern half of Cuba and gradually include the western provinces, being strong and intense, mainly in mountainous locations.

In the eastern region and up to Ciego de Ávila, 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.

The swells will continue in the south of Granma, with light to moderate coastal flooding.  In the rest of the south central and western coast there will be swells, with light coastal flooding in the Gulf of Guacanayabo, which will begin at night on the south coast of the central region of Cuba.

The next tropical cyclone warning will be issued at midnight.