Ernesto heads to Jamaica as category 1 hurricane

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ROSEAU: Tropical Storm Ernesto blew across open waters Saturday on a projected path that would skirt Jamaica and hit Mexico after dumping heavy rain on islands in the eastern Caribbean.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ernesto is expected to roll south of Jamaica as a hurricane Sunday afternoon. The forecast would carry it into the coastal resorts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday.

On Friday, Dominica closed its international airport for a second day, while St. Lucia ordered businesses to close for half the day as Ernesto swept through the area. A ferry that travels to Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia also temporarily suspended service. The regional commuter airlines, LIAT, also cancelled several flights.

No damage or flooding was reported on islands affected by the storm.

The hurricane centre said Ernesto had maximum sustained winds of about 85 kph late Saturday morning. It was about 475 kilometres south-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and was moving westward at 30 kph.

Meanwhile, a new tropical storm, Florence, formed further out in the Atlantic. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and was about 665 kilometres west of the Cape Verde Islands. The National Hurricane Center said it was not expected to reach hurricane force as it marches generally westward.

Story from Associated Press