Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday as it dumped torrential rains on Puerto Rico, leaving nearly half of all customers in the U.S. territory without power as it threatened to strengthen into a major storm en route to Bermuda.
The storm was located about 175 miles (280 kilometers) northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, moving over open waters. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and was moving northwest at 16 mph (26 km/h).
“The official forecast still includes the possibility of Ernesto becoming a major hurricane in about 48 hours,” the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.
According to the Weather Network, Ernesto is also expected to turn north, taking a path that may include the Atlantic Ocean in Canada.
“While it’s too early to tell, some long-range models indicate Ernesto could pass close enough to Canada’s east coast to bring heavy rains early to mid-next week,” the Weather Network said in an update Wednesday morning.
CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin noted that this is a very early forecast.
“The direction could change, but right now the wind will at least pass the coast of Nova Scotia, and that would mean strong winds and heavy rains on Prince Edward Island,” Simpkin said.
The Canadian Hurricane Center currently forecasts Ernesto to be south of Nova Scotia on Monday morning.
“The storm is likely to pass over Canadian marine waters, but the impact on land is currently uncertain,” the centre said on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday afternoon.
Ernesto is expected to peak as a Category 3 hurricane as it moves north. As it approaches Canada’s east coast, cooler northern waters will likely push Ernesto below hurricane strength. However, it will likely still be a cohesive storm when it reaches the Maritimes, Simpkin said.
Warning for Puerto Rico in effect
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Puerto Rico and the offshore islands of Vieques and Culebra, as well as the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
“I know it’s been a long night listening to the howling wind,” U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said at a press conference.
An island-wide power outage was reported on St. John and St. Croix, and at least six cell towers were knocked offline across the U.S. territory, said emergency management director Daryl Jaschen, adding that airports on St. Croix and St. Thomas were expected to reopen around noon.
However, in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, government offices remained closed. Severe flooding was reported in several areas, forcing authorities to close roads, some of which were littered with trees. Nearly 100 flights to and from Puerto Rico were also canceled.
“Lots of rain, lots of rain,” Culebra Mayor Edilberto Romero said in a telephone interview. “Trees have fallen on public roads. Some roofs have been blown away.”
Heavy rains are forecast for the east coast of the USA
Ernesto is forecast to move through open waters for the remainder of the week, making its closest approach to Bermuda on Friday and Saturday. It is expected to strengthen into a severe Category 3 storm in the coming days, then weaken slightly to a Category 2 as it approaches Bermuda.
“Residents must prepare now before the situation worsens,” said Bermuda’s Security Minister Michael Weeks. “Now is not the time for complacency.”
Meteorologists also warned of strong waves on the east coast of the United States. “That means it could be dangerous for anyone going to the beach, even in fair weather … because of these surf backwashes,” said Robbie Berg, warning coordination meteorologist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Rainfall of between 100 and 150 millimeters is expected in the United States and the British Virgin Islands, and between 150 and 200 millimeters in Puerto Rico. Isolated areas could see up to 250 millimeters.
In addition to the island-wide power outage in St. Croix, more than half a million customers in Puerto Rico were without power.
Late Tuesday, the US Federal Reserve Bank of Emergencies (FEMA) warned people in both US territories to prepare for “prolonged power outages”.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year due to record-high ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, including four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
