Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands ports shut as Tropical Storm Ernesto gains strength

Ports in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have been closed as Tropical Storm Ernesto moves through the Caribbean, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.

MAP: Tropical Storm Ernesto over Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. National Hurricane Center

The US Coast Guard imposed "port condition Zulu" on Tuesday evening, halting all port operations. Zulu comes into effect when gale-force wind gusts are forecast to hit the region within 12 hours.

Ernesto, the fifth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, formed on Monday, following the impact of Hurricane Debby in Florida last week. Earlier today, Ernesto was moving at 16 miles per hour over the Virgin Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour.

The storm is forecast to intensify into a hurricane later today as it passes north of Puerto Rico, according to the National Weather Service.

"The big impact from Ernesto is going to be the rainfall," the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned, as the storm is expected to bring torrential downpour that could lead to flooding.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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