Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane early Monday morning as it headed toward eastern Canada in the Atlantic, but the storm is expected to remain offshore, bringing powerful waves, dangerous waves and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast, the National Hurricane Center said. .
Ernesto’s maximum sustained winds increased to 80 mph (129 kph) on Monday, with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. It is expected to weaken to a post-tropical storm on Tuesday, the center said.
The storm was centered about 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Cape Race, Newfoundland, and will move into the open Atlantic on Tuesday, the center said. Some coastal flooding may occur in Canada.
People along the northeast coast should be careful, the center said.
In an AP interview, National Hurricane Center lead meteorologist David Zelinski says Ernesto is bringing high surf and life-threatening rip currents to the US East Coast.
“We would certainly encourage anyone going to beaches anywhere on the East Coast of the United States to pay attention to what the flags are, what the lifeguards are saying, and if it’s not safe to stay out of the water,” David Jelinksi, lead meteorologist with the hurricane center, said Monday.
Storms generated by Ernesto affected parts of Bermuda, the US East Coast, and the Canadian Atlantic coast. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions will subside over the next day or so, the hurricane center said.
The weather service issued a coastal flood warning and warned of high risk For rip currents As of Monday evening on the Atlantic coast, they say they “can sweep even the best swimmers off the shore into deep water.”
A warning has been extended from Florida to the Boston area and parts of Maine.
Forecasters cited local emergency management as saying a 41-year-old man drowned Saturday in a rip current in Surf City, North Carolina.
Two people drowned Friday off South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island, where rip current warnings were issued. They were identified as Ralph Jamison, 66, of South Euclid, Ohio, and Leonard Schenz, 73, of Loveland, Ohio. Beaufort County Coroner David Ott said it will take several weeks to determine whether autopsy results are related to Ernesto.
After bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Bermuda over the weekend, Ernesto weakened to a tropical storm late Saturday, but there were no injuries, Bermuda Defense Minister Michael Weeks said Sunday afternoon.
Ernesto previously hit the northeastern Caribbeanleaving behind tens of thousands of people Without water in Puerto Rico.
The Virgin Islands Department of Education said all public schools will resume operations on Monday after cleaning up and removing debris. Public school classes will also begin in Puerto Rico on Monday, a week after the original start date.
Flooding in Connecticut Weather officials said Ernesto was unrelated to the storm that dumped 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of rain on Sunday. The rain washed out roads, flooded basements, and led to rescues and at least one death.
In the eastern Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kilma Strengthened but forecast to stay away from land this week.
