Hurricane Ernesto: Track where the storm is heading as it takes aim at Bermuda

Hurricane Ernesto battered Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Wednesday, causing infrastructure damage and mudslides on the islands.

The hurricane left as many as 730,000 people on Puerto Rico without power during at least a portion of Wednesday. Blackouts were down to 649,000 as of 8 p.m. ET, approximately 44% of homes and businesses, according to LUMA Energy, the operator of Puerto Rico’s power grid.

Parts of Puerto Rico saw over 9 inches of rain in 24 hours as of Wednesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Two of the three U.S. Virgin Islands – St. John and St. Croix – were completely in the dark Wednesday and six cell towers were knocked offline, according to territory officials .

U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said that the territory was in "good shape," in a news conference but cautioned that conditions for travel remained dangerous.

Ernesto had left Puerto Rico behind as of 8 p.m. ET and was strengthening over Atlantic waters, carrying sustained winds that increased to 80 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center .

You can track the storm's path with the latest maps and models below and follow along with USA TODAY's coverage of Tropical Storm Ernesto as the fifth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season moves through the Caribbean.

Where is Ernesto heading?

Ernesto turned northwest after battering the island territories, taking aim at Bermuda.

Ernesto could become a Category 3 hurricane by Friday before approaching Bermuda on Saturday, according to the NHC.

Projections currently show that the storm will drift over the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding the eastern seaboard.

Tropical storm Ernesto path tracker

If the map above is not loading on your screen, click here .

Tropical Storm Ernesto Spaghetti Models

Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Ernesto: Track where the storm is heading as it takes aim at Bermuda