Ernesto becomes hurricane after battering Puerto Rico

Ernesto has intensified into a Category 1 hurricane, affecting the US territory of Puerto Rico and leaving over 600,000 customers without power. The storm, which brought heavy rainfall and flooding, is the latest challenge for Puerto Rico's fragile power grid, which has struggled since the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. With sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, Ernesto is expected to drop up to 10 inches of rain in some areas, causing rivers like the Canovanas to overflow and increasing the risk of more flooding.

The impact of Ernesto is not limited to Puerto Rico; the nearby Virgin Islands are also under threat of significant flooding, with both regions remaining under a tropical storm warning. As the hurricane moves northward into the Atlantic, it poses a potential threat to Bermuda, which it could approach by Friday or Saturday. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that Ernesto may strengthen further, potentially becoming a major storm (Category 3 or higher) as it continues its path across warm Atlantic waters.

Scientists attribute the rapid intensification of storms like Ernesto to climate change, which has led to warmer ocean temperatures. These warmer waters provide more energy for storms, potentially making this hurricane season particularly dangerous. The ongoing threat underscores the broader concerns about the impacts of climate change on weather patterns, particularly in regions already vulnerable to hurricanes.

As Ernesto progresses, the potential for it to become a more severe storm highlights the importance of preparedness and the need for continued attention to climate change's role in intensifying such natural disasters. The situation in Puerto Rico and surrounding areas serves as a stark reminder of the lingering vulnerabilities and the escalating risks posed by increasingly powerful storms in a warming world.