Tropical Storm Ernesto, which formed Monday as the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is swirling toward the Caribbean and Puerto Rico.
The Atlantic front quickly developed into a tropical storm over the course of the day, as parts of the East Coast are still reeling from the havoc of Hurricane Debby.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that Ernesto will move across portions of the Leeward Islands on Tuesday morning and go near or over the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by Tuesday evening, before turning northward over the western Atlantic.
Ernesto is forecast to strengthen over the next few days and could reach hurricane strength by Thursday.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a 90% chance of an above-normal number of storms by the time the hurricane season concludes in November. Part of the reason for that above-normal activity includes near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic.