Hurricane Ernesto, which regained hurricane status late Sunday, is currently strengthening and heading toward Canada after impacting Bermuda as a Category 1 storm. As of the latest update from the National Hurricane Center, Ernesto has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, an increase from earlier measurements. The storm is positioned about 435 miles south-southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and around 705 miles southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, moving north-northeast at 20 mph.
Forecasters predict Ernesto will intensify further over the next six to twelve hours before it moves north of the Gulf Stream’s north wall. After this period of potential strengthening, the storm is expected to rapidly weaken as it encounters colder waters and increased southwesterly wind shear. Ernesto is projected to pass southeastern Newfoundland late Monday or early Tuesday.
Hurricane Ernesto Strengthens as It Moves Toward Canada, Impacting Bermuda and U.S. East Coast
Although Ernesto is expected to stay well off the U.S. East Coast, the National Hurricane Center has issued warnings about dangerous swells impacting the coast in the early part of the week. Beachgoers are advised to be cautious due to the risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents. In New York City, ocean-facing beaches in Brooklyn and Queens were closed for swimming over the weekend as a precaution.
Accuweather.com forecasts that Ernesto will affect the British Isles from Wednesday night to Thursday. The storm is anticipated to accelerate and reach forward speeds of 30-40 mph, generating high seas of 20-30 feet ahead of it. The next two days will likely see life-threatening surf and rip currents across the Bahamas, Bermuda, the East Coast of the U.S., and Atlantic Canada.
In Bermuda, where Ernesto first struck, there have been significant power outages, with 8,331 customers affected among the island’s 64,626 residents. Despite this, no major damage has been reported.
Earlier in the week, the hurricane caused heavy rains in the Virgin Islands and had previously intensified to a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds. Ernesto follows other recent storms, including Debby and Beryl, which impacted various regions across the U.S. and the Caribbean.
