Hurricane Ernesto strengthened to a Category 2 storm Thursday night as it headed toward Bermuda after its winds knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people and dumped torrential rain on Puerto Rico.
The storm, which strengthened into a hurricane after it passed by Puerto Rico on Wednesday, was moving about 410 miles south-southwest of Bermuda at around 14 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. advisory.
The National Hurricane Center and the Bermuda Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for Bermuda early Thursday, meaning hurricane conditions are expected in the island’s marine area within 36 hours.
When it passes near or over Bermuda, it will bring dangerous coastal conditions and 6 to 12 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts up to 15 inches possible.
Ernesto's winds are expected to continue strengthening in the next 12 to 24 hours to up to 110 mph — the upper end of a Category 2 hurricane — but could weaken afterward thanks to conditions such as cooler waters, the hurricane center said.
Bermuda National Security Minister Michael Weeks has urged people to take the storm seriously and to prepare for its impact.
“As I have said before, it only takes one storm to cause significant damage and disrupt our way of life,” Weeks said Wednesday. “Now is not the time for complacency.”
No deaths related to the storm have been reported in Puerto Rico. Over 730,000 customers were without electricity Wednesday, with some also losing water service, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said. As of 11 p.m. Thursday, over 287,000 customers were without power, according to the electric utility Luma, or about 20% of its 1.4 million customers.
A little more than 10 inches of rain fell in the region of Barranquitas in Puerto Rico, the National Weather Service in San Juan said.
In advance of Ernesto’s hitting Puerto Rico, President Joe Biden issued an order authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts and supplement local disaster relief.
Swells from Ernesto are already affecting parts of the Turks and Caicos islands and the Bahamas. The swells, which are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, are expected to reach the U.S. East Coast overnight into Friday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Canada's Hurricane Centre said that swells will begin arriving along the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia on Saturday and that the storm could cause some rain in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland next week.
"We expect that the track of Ernesto’s center will be well south of Nova Scotia as it travels northeastward then approach southeastern Newfoundland later Monday," the Hurricane Centre said.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm and the third hurricane of what has already been an exceptionally busy hurricane season.
