Warnings issued for US territories as Tropical Storm Ernesto forms in Atlantic

Tropical Storm Ernesto gained strength into a named storm Monday afternoon in the Atlantic, where it threatens Caribbean communities with wind, rain and storm surge.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm was sustaining 40mph winds. It was close to 600 miles east-southeast of Puerto Rico, moving west-northwest at 28mph.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect Monday for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hurricane Hunter aircraft are expected to make multiple flights to the storm over the next two days to take measurements and better determine the storm's strength.

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The National Weather Service in Puerto Rico said residents should prepare for potential flash flooding and a storm surge of about 1 foot. Officials also warned of potential power and communication outages.

Eventually, the tropical disturbance is expected to become a hurricane and move north toward Bermuda. As of Monday, it is not expected to threaten the mainland of the U.S. in the next five days.

The disturbance comes during what forecasters predict will be a busy hurricane season. Generally, hurricane activity quickly ramps up in August in the Atlantic, and peaks around Sept. 10.

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