RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The system in the Atlantic we've been watching the past few days finally got a center of circulation Monday, becoming the fifth named tropical system of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
As of the 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center winds were up to 60 miles per hour and is moving quickly to the west-northwest at 18 miles per hour.
A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the Virgin Islands, Vieques, and Culebra as Ernesto could quickly intensify into a hurricane over very ocean waters.
Gusty winds and heavy rain are expected to bring dangerous flash flooding and possible landslides. Up to two feet of storm surge is also possible. Rainfall totals could be between 6 to 8 inches across southeastern Puerto Rico.
Ernesto is expected to curve back north, and then northeast, likely bringing impacts near the island of Bermuda as a Category 2 hurricane late in the week. Models agree with Ernesto turning away from us, so while no direct impacts are expected here in North Carolina, rip currents could be dangerous along our coast by the weekend.
Something to remember when looking at the model plots: each line only shows a possible path of the tropical storm. They tell us nothing about the strength.
We are now less than a month away from peak hurricane season, and with forecasts calling for a more active than average season stay prepared and tuned to CBS17 and we will keep you updated through the remainder of the season.