The National Hurricane Center says Elsa is pouring rain across the Carolinas and gaining speed, moving toward the northeast near 20 mph.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts.
Watch: Elsa batters the Carolinas
The storm is expected to bring heavy rain to our area Thursday night into Friday.
RELATED: How the Tri-State area is preparing for Elsa
The National Weather Service says the tropical system could produce 2 to 3 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts possible.
The Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for coastal New Jersey, along Long Island from East Rockaway Inlet to the eastern tip along the south shore and from Port Jefferson Harbor eastward on the north shore, and from New Haven, Connecticut to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
Check here for the latest advisories from the National Weather Service
Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Taylor County along the north Florida coast late Wednesday morning.
WHAT THE NEW YORK AREA CAN EXPECT
By Thursday night, Elsa will reach the Mid-Atlantic including just east of Washington, D.C. and into Philadelphia. Flooding rain and gusty winds will be the biggest threat.
Thursday:
Dry this morning with an increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Widespread showers and thunderstorms may develop this evening and continue into Friday.
An isolated strong to severe storm producing sudden gusty winds cannot be ruled out.
Elsa will begin to make its approach late tonight into early Friday morning.
Rainfall rates exceeding one in per hour for more than an hour are likely between 12:00 AM – 6:00 AM.
There’s a reasonable worst case of peak winds reaching 25 to 30 MPH with 35 to 40 MPH gusts, with the strongest winds along the coastline.
Friday:
The center of Elsa will pass quickly to the southeast of the city between 5:00 AM – 8:00 AM.
Heavy rain will continue intermittently through the early morning and begin to taper off around noon.
Winds will begin to subside around noon with rapidly improving conditions expected after 2:00 PM.
A total of 2.00 – 3.00 inches of rainfall is expected between today and Friday with locally higher amounts possible.
A high risk of life threatening rip currents will continue through Friday and potentially into Saturday.
While Elsa can bring heavy rain, the fast-forward movement of the storm should help to limit excessive rainfall and the threat of widespread flooding.
Elsa will also track close enough and have enough strength to bring wind gusts of 40-60 mph to coastal New Jersey and Long Island.
If Elsa’s track shifts farther west, some of the heavier rain and gusty winds could move inland.
Stay with the Eyewitness News AccuWeather team for updates.
RELATED ELSA COVERAGE
Live tracking Tropical Storm Elsa
Preparing for Elsa across the Tri-State
Long Island braces for Tropical Storm Elsa
The 7-day AccuWeather forecast
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