See Hurricane Ernesto's Expected Path

H urricane Ernesto is making its way Northwards across the Atlantic ocean, after wreaking havoc in Puerto Rico overnight. A hurricane warning has also been issued for the island of Bermuda, as the storm is expected to pass through on Thursday.

Approximately 975,000 homes and businesses in Puerto Rico, around two thirds of the territory, are out of power, CBS news reported . The island of St. Croix, part of the U.S. Virgin islands also reportedly experienced an island-wide blackout.

The storm strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday morning, causing heavy downpours and wind gusts as strong as 75 m.p.h. to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Numerous counties across Puerto Rico remain under flood flash warnings, with the storm bringing a maximum of 10 inches of rainfall across much of eastern Puerto Rico, while other regions were less impacted. The hurricane could become a Category 3 storm by Friday, meaning it will have winds as strong as 129 m.p.h., according to the National Hurricane Center.

Ernesto, the third hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season, is forecasted to stay offshore the U.S. East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. However, the Center warns that people should still be wary of life-threatening surf and rip currents along East Coast beaches. On an annual basis, rip currents cause about 100 drowning fatalities.

Over the next few days, the hurricane will continue to travel north of the Caribbean. It was continuing to move northwest at a speed of 16 m.p.h. on Thursday morning, and was passing through open waters 675 miles southwest of Bermuda, according to the Associated Press. Its maximum sustained wind speeds were 85 m.p.h.

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