Tropical Storm Ernesto becomes a hurricane near Puerto Rico.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported this Wednesday that the atmospheric phenomenon Ernesto has turned into a hurricane while it impacts the northern Caribbean with heavy rains and strong gusty winds.

The center of the storm is located 125 miles northwest of San Juan, moving away from Puerto Rico, and its extensive trailing moisture will keep rainfall and flooding in several areas of the island.

According to Radar Informativo on its account on the social network X, "it is moving northwest at 16 miles per hour, with a minimum pressure of 29.26 inches. Tropical storm force winds extend up to 150 miles from the center."

The future of Ernesto as a hurricane will largely depend on the warm ocean waters and the upper-level winds that affect its development. There is a possibility that it could become a major hurricane (category 3 or higher) by the end of the week.

The storm is generating waves in the ocean hundreds of kilometers away, which could cause dangerous rip currents along the east coast of the United States, the Bahamas, and parts of the Caribbean until early next week.

Storm Ernesto formed on Monday in the Atlantic, and at first, forecasts indicated it was heading towards Cuba when it was still a tropical wave. Later, it veered north. The forecast models do not predict that it will affect either the island or the state of Florida, United States.

So far this hurricane season in the Atlantic basin, which began on June 1, five tropical storms have formed: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, and Ernesto.