Warnings issued for US territories ahead of potential tropical storm

The National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm warnings for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands ahead of a tropical disturbance that could move through the Caribbean this week.

Potential Tropical Cyclone No. 5 was located 435 miles east-southwest of Antigua as of 11 a.m. ET Monday. The storm was moving west at 26 mph and packing top sustained winds of 35 mph. A Hurricane Hunters aircraft is expected to fly to the storm on Monday to take measurements and better determine the storm's strength.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the disturbance will move into the Caribbean on Tuesday and is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm. The next storm name on the National Hurricane Center's list is Ernesto.

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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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