Hurricane Ernesto path: Where is the storm headed? Live tracker
A Hurricane Warning was issued for Bermuda as Hurricane Ernesto continues to gain strength while it barrels toward the island after slamming areas of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
HURRICANE ERNESTO UPDATE: LOCATION l PATH l BERMUDA l NYC IMPACTS
Hurricane Ernesto brought damaging wind gusts and flooding rain to the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of utility customers and leading to reports of water rescues due to flash flooding.
Here's everything you need to know about Hurricane Ernesto, including its location, latest path, and impacts for Bermuda and NYC.
Where is Hurricane Ernesto now
Tracking Hurricane Ernesto.(FOX Weather)
According to the latest advisory from the NHC, Hurricane Ernesto was located less than 600 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and was moving off to the north.
Hurricane Ernesto has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, and the NHC says the Category 1 hurricane will continue to strengthen and could become a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) by Friday.
Hurricane Ernesto projected path
This graphic shows the forecast track of Hurricane Ernesto. (FOX Weather)
The NHC says Hurricane Ernesto is expected to strengthen over the next few days and could become a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) by Friday.
According to the NHC, the Bermuda Weather Service has issued a Hurricane Warning for Bermuda.
Tropical storm alerts associated with Hurricane Ernesto have been issued. (FOX Weather)
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, and is typically issued about 36 hours before the impacts from a potential hurricane arrive.
The NHC said Ernesto is expected to produce rainfall accumulations between 4 to 8 inches, with locally higher amounts of up to a foot of rain.
Ernesto spaghetti model
A look at the forecast track of spaghetti plots for Hurricane Ernesto. (FOX Weather)
Hurricane Ernesto Bermuda weather
"Let me be clear," Bermuda’s Minister of National Security Hon. Michael Weeks, JP, MP, said during a news conference on Wednesday. "While Bermuda has been fortunate in recent years to avoid the worst impacts of hurricanes, we have to take each storm seriously and prepare accordingly."
National Hurricane Center
According to the latest information from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Ernesto is expected to bring damaging winds, flooding rain and dangerous storm surge to the island.
"As I’ve said before," Weeks continued. "It only takes one storm to cause significant damage and disrupt our way of life."
Weeks warned that the winds, rain and flooding from Hurricane Ernesto would likely knock out power to residents across the island.
Hurricane Ernesto track: NYC impacts
At this time, it doesn't appear Ernesto will directly impact the mainland U.S.
However, large swells generated by Ernesto are expected to reach the East Coast and Bermuda late this week and into the weekend. The large waves will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip currents at beaches.
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Hurricane Ernesto path: When to expect rip currents, high surf at NYC area beaches
Even with Hurricane Ernesto passing several hundred miles off the U.S. East Coast, beaches in the NYC area are expecting an increase in rip currents and surf that could make ocean ventures dangerous through the weekend.
"Swells generated by Ernesto are affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the southeastern Bahamas," the NHC said. "These swells will spread toward Bermuda and the rest of the Bahamas later today. Swells are expected to reach the East Coast of the United States tonight and continue into the weekend."
Puerto Rico latest
The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been blasted by the effects of then-Tropical Storm Ernesto as the storm moved across the region overnight and into Wednesday.
This graphic shows the top rain reports in Puerto Rico from Ernesto. (FOX Weather)
Numerous Flash Flood Warnings were issued across Puerto Rico, including in San Juan.
FOX Weather's Steven Yablonski helped contribute to this report.