Upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane today, Hurricane Ernesto continued to build size and power throughout the week as it spun through the Caribbean , hitting Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands right on the chin. As of press time, the National Hurricane Center was reporting that Ernesto was packing winds of 75 mph and is expected to continue to strengthen as it hits warmer water.
Ernesto comes directly on the heels of Hurricane Debby, which brought heavy rains, flooding, and a bit of surf to select spots on the Eastern Seaboard. The impact of the Category One storm reportedly caused the death of eight people, including children.
"On the forecast track, the center of Ernesto will continue to move away from Puerto Rico today, move across the western Atlantic during the next few days, and approach Bermuda Friday and Saturday," reports the National Hurricane Center.
They report that the storm is currently traveling at approximately 16 mph and could become a major hurricane by the weekend, meaning sustained winds will be 111 mph or greater.
"[The] swell graces the entire East Coast over the weekend, and there’s the potential for more reinforcing pulses, too. Once Ernesto’s in the Atlantic, it should take a more northerly track, but that’s not for certain," reports Surfline's Charlie Hutcherson .
"If it bends to the right (east), little swell will be generated. If it bends to the left (west), it’ll send more swell to the northern half of the coast before turning northeast and heading toward Europe early next week," he continues.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm in the Atlantic this year. But with hurricane season running all the way through November 30, it's fair to say the worst could be yet to come. August and September are notoriously active months for hurricanes, and with water temps so high in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic, there's plenty of fuel out there to power these storms up. Stay safe out there and heed official warnings.
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