▁began ▁to ▁monitor ▁the ▁system ▁as ▁a ▁tropical ▁de pression . ▁Loc ated ▁between ▁two ▁other ▁T UT T ▁cells , ▁the ▁disturb ance ' s ▁out flow ▁was ▁en hanced , ▁allowing ▁it ▁to ▁intens ify . ▁The ▁J oint ▁Ty ph oon ▁Warning ▁Center ▁( J TW C ) ▁issued ▁a ▁Trop ical ▁Cy clone ▁Form ation ▁Alert ▁late ▁on ▁October   1 3 . ▁Early ▁the ▁following ▁day , ▁the ▁disturb ance ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁Trop ical ▁De pression ▁ 3 0 W ▁as ▁it ▁began ▁to ▁st all ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁weak ▁ste ering ▁curr ents ▁between ▁two ▁subt rop ical ▁high s . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁being ▁declared ▁a ▁de pression , ▁the ▁J TW C ▁upgrad ed ▁the ▁system ▁to ▁a ▁tropical ▁storm , ▁giving ▁it ▁the ▁name ▁Els ie . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁J MA ▁also ▁upgrad ed ▁the ▁de pression ▁to ▁a ▁tropical ▁storm . ▁By ▁October   1 5 , ▁Els ie ▁began ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁slow ▁track ▁to ▁the ▁west - n orth west ▁and ▁intens ified . ▁Later ▁that ▁day , ▁a ▁short - wave ▁tr ough ▁passed ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁storm , ▁again ▁en han cing ▁its ▁out flow . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁rapid ▁intens ification , ▁during ▁which ▁Els ie ▁intens ified ▁from ▁a ▁tropical ▁storm ▁to ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁a ▁high - end ▁Category ▁ 3 ▁h urr icane ▁on ▁the ▁S aff ir – Sim pson ▁H urr