Top line
Hours after Hurricane Ernesto became the third hurricane of the season, forecasters are warning that it will bring “life-threatening” surf rip currents to the east coast as it heads north toward Bermuda, after previously devastating Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
A hurricane warning is in effect in Bermuda. Meteorologists warn that Hurricane Ernesto … (+)
Key data
Since Thursday morning, Ernesto has been moving northward just east of the Bahamas at 22.5 km/h and reaching maximum sustained wind speeds of 140 km/h. This makes it a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center, and only 14 km/h away from being classified as a Category 2 hurricane.
A hurricane warning is currently in effect for Bermuda. The National Hurricane Center warns that there will be heavier rainfall on Thursday and flash flooding is possible from Friday into the weekend.
AccuWeather meteorologists have urged Bermuda residents to prepare for direct impacts from Ernesto this weekend. AccuWeather’s senior hurricane expert Alex DaSilva warned that the storm could pass within 100 miles of the island on Saturday morning.
While the storm is not expected to make direct impact on the United States, meteorologists expect it to bring dangerous waves to the East Coast over the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center is warning people along the east coast to prepare for a “significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” adding that such conditions are also possible in the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos Islands in the coming days.
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Important background
Ernesto developed into a hurricane late Wednesday morning north of Puerto Rico after devastating the northern Leeward Islands and leaving thousands of homes and businesses in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands without power. The hurricane is the fifth named tropical storm and third hurricane of what is already an eventful 2024 Atlantic season, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said would be one of the busiest on record. Earlier this month, Hurricane Debby made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 1 storm, dumping rain on Florida before slowly moving up the east coast. The year’s first hurricane – Beryl – strengthened to a Category 5 storm with winds of 159 mph (257 kph) in early July as it moved south of Jamaica toward the Yucatan Peninsula.
What you should pay attention to
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, but typically intensifies as sea surface temperatures rise from late August to September. In its 2024 forecast, NOAA predicted a total of 17 to 25 named storms over the course of the season, with eight to 13 of them developing into hurricanes, including four to seven major ones (with maximum sustained winds of at least 110 mph). AccuWeather meteorologists also predicted a brutal hurricane season with up to 25 named storms, attributing the high number to near-record sea surface temperatures and the occurrence of La Niña, which dampens destructive wind shear, allowing hurricanes to develop.
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