As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, Ernesto strengthened to become a hurricane with 75 mph winds.
Ernesto's center was last detected 175 miles north of Puerto Rico in the open Atlantic waters. It is projected to become a major hurricane briefly on Friday and make a close pass near Bermuda on Saturday.
Ernesto is bringing 3-6 inches of rain with isolated pockets of up to 10 inches in Puerto Rico. Heavy rainfall could produce flash flooding and mudslides for portions of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
While no direct impacts are expected for the U.S., there will still be swells generated from Ernesto that reach the U.S. East Coast late this week and into the weekend. There will be an increased threat of life-threatening surf and rip currents.
This is the only system in the Atlantic at this time. We are less than one month out from the statistical peak of hurricane season. Be sure to check back into the forecast for frequent updates.
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