(Miami, FL) -- The National Hurricane Center says portions of the Florida Keys are under a tropical storm watch as Tropical Storm Elsa moves closer. The agency says the Keys could begin seeing rainfall from the storm early next week. They say up to six inches of rain is possible. Maximum sustained winds are at 70 miles per hour and it's moving to the west-northwest at 23 miles per hour.
An additional decrease in Elsa's forward speed is expected tonight and on Sunday, followed by a turn toward the northwest Sunday night or Monday. On the forecast track, Elsa will move near the southwestern peninsula of Haiti over the next few hours and then move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba on Sunday. By Monday, Elsa is expected to move across central and western Cuba and head toward the Florida Straits. Elsa is then forecast to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida on Tuesday.
The latest update has the storm about 140 miles east of Kingston, Jamaica.