page_title: 2019–20 European windstorm season
section_title: Storm Elsa
hierarchical_section_title: 2019–20 European windstorm season / Storms / Storm Elsa
caption_attribution_description: English: Track map of Storm Elsa of the 2019-20 European windstorm season. The points show the location of the storm at 6-hour intervals. The colour represents the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds as classified in the Saffir–Simpson scale (see below), and the shape of the data points represent the nature of the storm, according to the legend below. Saffir–Simpson scale Tropical depression≤38 mph≤62 km/h Category 3111–129 mph178–208 km/h Tropical storm39–73 mph63–118 km/h Category 4130–156 mph209–251 km/h Category 174–95 mph119–153 km/h Category 5≥157 mph≥252 km/h Category 296–110 mph154–177 km/h Unknown Storm type Tropical cyclone Subtropical cyclone Extratropical cyclone / Remnant low / Tropical disturbance / Monsoon depression
context_page_description: The 2019–20 European windstorm season is the fifth instance of seasonal European windstorm naming in Europe. This is the first season in which the Netherlands participates, joining Ireland's and the United Kingdom’s meteorological agencies. The new season's storm names were released on 6 September 2019. In July 2019, it was announced that storm seasons would run from 1 September 2019 to 1 September 2020. The Portuguese, Spanish and French meteorological agencies will again collaborate too, joined by the Belgian meteorological agency.
context_section_description: Storm Elsa formed on 13 December above the Gulf of Mexico, whereafter it gradually tracked north-eastward, bottoming out at 961 mbar (28.4 inHg) at the coast of Canada. Thereafter, the storm split up into two systems – one above the west Atlantic Ocean and the other above the east Atlantic Ocean. On 16 December, IPMA named the storm, while AEMET issued wind warnings for speeds of 100 to 120 km/h (62 to 75 mph). The storm was absorbed into another depression, named Zelion by the Free University of Berlin, on 21 December.
  Besides a nation-wide yellow warning, Met Éireann issued an orange weather warning for County Cork in the evening of 18 December for a small secondary depression associated with storm Elsa. The yellow warnings for counties Mayo and Galway were further upgraded to orange warnings at 20:00, an hour before the storm passed these counties. Severe flooding and extreme gusts were reported at the County Galway coastline. Close to 22:00, a storm surge breached the Promenade on Salthill in Galway City; over 50 cars were lost to the floodwaters. Besides the flooding, a ship was also forced onto rocks. Severe flooding was also reported in the Spanish Arch, Port of Galway, Oranmore and Kinvara areas of Galway. Gusts of up to 125 km/h (78 mph) were reported at the Mace Head weather station on the West Galway coast. Treefalls occurred across the city and county, blocking numerous roads leading to Galway City. Around 22:30, Galway City Council activated its Emergency Response Plan and issued a notice warning people to stay indoors and to remain there unless it was of extreme importance. A similar warning was issued by Galway County Council. Members of the Gardaí, National Ambulance Service, Galway Fire Service and Civil Defence Ireland were deployed to Salthill and conducted searches on cars trapped in floodwaters.
  Met Éireann's short notice of one hour before the storm hit the counties of Mayo and Galway was criticized. The agency defended their warnings, citing that "the nature of forecasting is that it is never certain [...]" and that they issue warnings when they see fit.
caption: Track of storm Elsa according to the Ocean Prediction Center.
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