Hurricane Ernesto strengthens overnight, moves toward Bermuda

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U.S. forecasters report Hurricane Ernesto strengthened overnight and, after moving through the northern Caribbean as a tropical storm, could threaten Bermuda Friday as a major hurricane.

In its last report, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ernesto was about 975 kilometers south to southwest of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean and was moving north at about 20 kilometers per hour. Its maximum sustained winds were about 140 kilometers per hour, making it a strong Category 1 hurricane.

The Hurricane Center reports a hurricane warning has been issued for Bermuda, where the storm is expected to pass over or very near late Friday or early Saturday.

Forecasters expect the storm to continue strengthening and say it could be a major storm - a Category 3 hurricane or stronger - by the time it reaches the island.

Tourists sit on La Pared beach as Tropical Storm Ernesto passes by Luquillo, Puerto Rico, Aug. 13, 2024.

Forecasters said even though Ernesto is expected to remain well offshore from the U.S. East Coast, the storm is expected to generate swells along the shoreline late this week and into the weekend. These swells could pose a significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents.

High surf and rip currents are also possible in the northern Caribbean along the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas

during the next few days.

Ernesto brought heavy wind and rain to the northern Caribbean as it moved through Wednesday. It knocked out power, downed trees and forced schools and businesses to close in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where many of the island's businesses and homes were without power late Wednesday.

Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of this year's Atlantic hurricane season.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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