This Monday afternoon infrared satellite image is courtesy of NOAA.
Ernesto is becoming much better organized over the Caribbean and will likely become a hurricane by tonight. Heavy showers and thunderstorms will soak the Cayman Islands through tonight before intensifying and approaching the coast of Honduras before taking aim on Belize.
Ernesto struggled to become better organized over the weekend, but warm water and low wind shear will provide fuel for strengthening during the next couple of days. Ernesto is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in Belize early Wednesday morning.
The latest information on Ernesto can be found in this news story.
After inundating Jamiaca with heavy showers and thunderstorms over the weekend, the Cayman Islands can expect similar weather through tonight. Localized rainfall totals of 2-4 inches are expected through tonight which can prompt some flooding.
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The Worst is Yet to Come: Atlantic Hurricane Season
Rough surf will also continue throughout area beaches and a minor storm surge will occur on southern and eastern facing shores.
Ernesto will approach the northern coast of Honduras and northeastern Nicaragua tonight with flooding downpours and tropical storm force winds. Although the center of Ernesto is forecast to stay just off of the Honduras coast through Tuesday, strong winds and flooding rain will lash the coast through at least Tuesday night.
Ernesto will continue on that west-northwest track on Tuesday before making landfall somewhere in Belize late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
Dangerous flash flooding and rainfall amounts of over one foot will bring a perilous situation to Belize on Wednesday. Hurricane force winds will lash coastal areas as well. Mudslides and power outages are all likely to occur with this storm.
After passing over the Yucatan, Ernesto could emerge in the southern Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm on Thursday.
Residents along the Gulf Coast and in northeastern Mexico are urged to keep an eye on the progress of Ernesto. Any type of significant impacts to the U.S. is unlikely with Ernesto, but these situations can change quickly.
Keep checking back with AccuWeather.com as we continue to update you on the active Atlantic Ocean.
Content contributed by AccuWeather Meteorologist Andy Mussoline
Expert Videos on the Tropical Storm Ernesto
Some of the warmest weather of the year will continue across Alaska over the next few days, challenging more records.
Join us on Thursday for AccuWeather LIVE, we will discuss the debate of climate change and hurricane frequency and the top five things you need to know about summer weather.
Warmth is forecast to build over much of the eastern half of the nation by July, with Alaska of all places helping out.
A brief synopsis of the top five worst weather events of last summer.
The storms could affect cities from St. Louis to Evansville, Ind., Louisville, Ky., Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio to Huntington, W.Va.
A tornado touched down at Denver International Airport as a severe weather system moved through the area.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
Atlanta, GA (1991)
3.47" of rain in 1 hour.
Philadelphia, PA (1994)
Strong thunderstorm winds blew off a large section
of a hanger roof and also damaged two aircraft.
Philadelphia, PA (1990)
Hail up to the size of marbles fell with wind
gusts to 50 mph in the northeast part of the
city.
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