First Hurricane of the Season Has Already Broken a Record

Florida may soon feel the wrath of Elsa—and it's going to be windy, not icy. Hurricane Elsa, which was preceded by Tropical Storms Ana, Bill, Claudette, and Danny, is the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season and the earliest E-named storm on record, reports AccuWeather. The previous record was held by Tropical Storm Eduardo, which formed on July 6 last year. Elsa lashed the eastern Caribbean with heavy rain and winds early Friday and it is on a course that could bring it to Florida early Tuesday, the AP reports.

The storm hit Barbados early Friday, and a hurricane watch is in place for islands including St. Vincent, where many people are still in shelters after volcanic eruptions earlier this year. The National Hurricane Center says tropical storm conditions are expected in Haiti and the Dominican Republic Saturday. The center says there is a risk of storm surge and other conditions in Florida early next week, but the "forecast uncertainty remains larger than usual due to Elsa's potential interactions with the Greater Antilles this weekend." (More hurricane stories.)