Ernesto strengthened right into a Class 2 hurricane because it plowed northward towards Bermuda, threatening to drench the British territory with heavy rain and unleash flash floods.
The storm was 410 miles (660 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda in keeping with an advisory from the US National Hurricane Center as of 11 p.m. in New York. Its high winds reached 100 miles per hour, making it a Class 2 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.
These winds are forecast to get quicker over the subsequent day. Ernesto is predicted to develop into a serious Class 3 hurricane by about 2 p.m. Friday because it approaches Bermuda, however could weaken once more by the point it reaches the island Saturday morning, in keeping with AccuWeather Inc. The observe presently exhibits the storm passing to the west of the island.
“It gained’t be a direct hit,” Alyssa Glenny, an AccuWeather meteorologist, mentioned in an interview. “However a Class 2 storm is nothing to joke about.”
Because the storm strikes north, the ocean water will get cooler and it’ll go by way of a pocket of drier air, mentioned Glenny. Each elements will weaken its power.
Bermuda Electrical Gentle Co., the native electrical utility, is urging residents to organize for the storm and warning that the excessive winds could result in energy outages. As much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain may fall in some areas, the hurricane middle mentioned.
Bermuda could climate the storm higher than Puerto Rico, which was grazed by Ernesto early Wednesday. The US territory is understood for a rickety energy grid that’s susceptible to hurricanes, and greater than 390,000 properties and companies remained with out energy as of noon Thursday. In distinction, Bermuda’s infrastructure is sturdier, in keeping with Glenny.
“The infrastructure in Bermuda is spectacular,” she mentioned. “They’ve ready for this.”
🔑 Preparation is essential! We’re watching 🌬️ Ernesto, making the required preparations to make sure the secure supply of electrical energy ought to the storm observe its predicted path. You are able to do the identical, by taking steps to organize your self now
👉 Be taught extra at https://t.co/ggUKZMm7n8 💨 pic.twitter.com/lZtXtjUiqW
— BELCO (@BELCOBERMUDA) August 15, 2024
Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s minister of nationwide safety, mentioned in a briefing Wednesday that Ernesto is predicted to deliver hurricane-force power winds, harmful seas and a excessive chance of energy outages.
“It solely takes one storm to trigger important harm and disrupt our lifestyle,” Weeks mentioned.
{Photograph}: Police block a flooded street as Tropical Storm Ernesto passes by way of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Photograph credit score: Jaydee Lee Serrano/AFP/Getty Photos
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