(Miami) Tropical Storm Ernesto strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, and continued to move away from Puerto Rico, where it brought heavy rains.
The storm strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale on Wednesday morning, with winds of up to 75 mph (120 km/h), the NHC said in its latest bulletin.
In Puerto Rico, the storm left more than 600,000 homes without power, said Luma Energy, the private company that manages the island’s grid.
Puerto Rico’s power grid has suffered frequent outages since Category 4 Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The Canovanas River in the northeast of the island has burst its banks, according to Telemundo. According to the NHC, heavy rainfall continues, raising fears of further flooding.
The nearby Virgin Islands could also experience “significant flooding,” the agency said.
PHOTO RICARDO ARDUENGO, REUTERS
Puerto Rico’s power grid has suffered frequent outages since Category 4 Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Ernesto is heading further north into the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and is expected to approach Bermuda on Friday or Saturday.
Ernesto could strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane or higher in the coming days, according to the NHC.
According to forecasts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the hurricane season in the North Atlantic, which runs from early June to late November, is expected to be particularly turbulent this year, particularly because of the warm oceans, which fuel storms and hurricanes.