Hurricane Ernesto continues to travel in Bermuda’s direction after pummelling Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as a tropical storm.

On August 16, The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that the hurricane will bring strong winds and storm surges to Bermuda starting on Friday afternoon throughout Saturday night. Heavy rainfall and life-threatening floods should be expected.

Hurricane warnings are in effect.

Currently Ernesto is located about 215 miles south-southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and a minimum central pressure of 970 mb.

The wind swells from Ernesto will affect the Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas. Wind swells and may be felt on the East Coast of the United States on Friday and the weekend, causing life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Ernesto left thousands of people without power or water in Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands earlier this week as it passed north of the region as a tropical storm.

Ernesto is the fifth named Atlantic storm to occur this season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasted 17 to 25 named storms after predicting an active hurricane season due to warmer ocean temperatures.