TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Potential Tropical Cyclone 5 is expected to develop into a tropical depression on Monday before becoming Tropical Storm Ernesto.
The tropical wave is located about 730 miles east-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, as of the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. update.
Advisories have been issued for the system, which is expected to move across portions of the Leeward Islands on Tuesday and approach the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Tuesday evening.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, and Anguilla
- Guadeloupe
- St. Martin and St. Barthelemy
- Sint Maarten
- British Virgin Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Vieques
- Culebra
The system is expected to dump three to six inches of rain in Puerto Rico, with some areas receiving up to 10 inches. Parts of the Leeward Islands will see four to six inches of rain.
The storm is forecast to become a hurricane later this week and will turn out to sea before reaching the mainland U.S.