The NBC2 First Alert Hurricane Team is tracking Tropical Storm Ernesto moving over the Leeward Islands Tuesday.
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect from the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico.
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As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center shows Ernesto with sustained winds of 50 mph. The storm is racing to the west-northwest at 18 mph.
Ernesto is forecast to impact Puerto Rico tonight through Wednesday morning before the storm takes a sharp northward turn over the western Atlantic. The storm will bring 3-6" of rain with isolated pockets up to 10" to Puerto Rico.
The current forecast has the hurricane intensifying into a Category 2 storm as it moves in the general direction of Bermuda this weekend. While the U.S. will not experience a direct threat from Ernesto, the storm will still increse the risk of rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this weekend.
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Computer forecast models are in strong agreement on this northward turn, making this a high-confidence forecast in terms of the storm's track.
A front moving off the east coast of the U.S. will help deflect the storm away from the U.S. mainland, so the storm is not a threat to Florida.
The rest of the tropical Atlantic is quiet for now, but it's important to stay updated as we head into the peak of the hurricane season.
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