House falls into the Atlantic
A house drifted into the Atlantic Ocean after Hurricane Ernesto brought dangerous surf conditions.
Hurricane Ernesto had already left Florida far behind by Monday morning, but the waves caused by the storm that hit Bermuda and churned up the Atlantic Ocean all weekend still pose a threat.
The good news is that no further tropical cyclones are expected in the Atlantic over the next seven days, according to the National Hurricane Center’s forecast as of 5 a.m. Monday.
Ernesto made landfall in Bermuda early Saturday morning as a Category 1 hurricane and was then downgraded to a tropical storm, but winds have picked up again and the system is moving north-northeast as a hurricane at 21 mph. At 5 a.m., the storm was located 340 miles south-southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Three deaths are attributed to the rough seas caused by Ernesto; all of them were swimmers who drowned off the coast of the Carolinas.
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The formation of the latest storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season occurred just over a week after Hurricane Debby made landfall at Big Bend in Florida on Monday, August 5.
What is the short-term hurricane forecast?
There are no threats in sight in Ernesto’s wake, according to NHC and Ryan Truchelut, a Florida meteorologist who works with the USA TODAY Network.
“Although many factors favor the formation of storms, the Atlantic is still flooded with enough dry air and Saharan dust to bleed out tropical waves. This should change sometime in the last week of August,” predicts Truchelut.
National Hurricane Center launches new “cone of concern” with Hurricane Ernesto
The National Hurricane Center released its new “cone of concern” for Hurricane Ernesto on Thursday, August 14.
For Ernesto, you won’t notice much difference between the original cone and the new one, as one of the biggest differences is that the new cone shows wind warnings for inland counties, not just those on the coast.
Both cones are visible on the Hurricane Center website. The new cone can be found by going to the graphics page for Hurricane Ernesto and then clicking on the new experimental cone highlighted in red.
Differences you will see:
- Observations and warnings for inland counties, not just coastal areas.
- White transparent shading for the entire five-day forecast, instead of white dots for the four- and five-day forecast.
Hurricane Ernesto: What you need to know
- Location: 340 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Maximum sustained winds: 85 miles per hour
- Movement: North-Northeast at 21 miles per hour
- Next note: 11am
Watch and warning issued for Florida, USA
No warnings or alerts directly related to Hurricane Ernesto have been issued for Florida. However, rip currents and small craft warnings have been issued along most of Florida’s coastline as Ernesto’s swell reaches shore.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for:
- There are no tropical weather warnings or watches in place, but dangerous beach conditions will persist along the east coast of the United States for days to come.
Stakeholders in southeastern Newfoundland should monitor Ernesto’s progress.
How strong is Hurricane Ernesto and where is it heading?
As of 5:00 a.m. AST on Monday, the center of Hurricane Ernesto was located near latitude 40.2 degrees north and longitude 60.5 degrees west.
Ernesto gained speed overnight and is currently moving northeast at 21 mph.
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Spaghetti models for Hurricane Ernesto
Special note on spaghetti models: The figures show a range of forecasting tools and models, and not all are the same. The Hurricane Center uses only the four or five best performing models for its forecasts.
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Expected impacts of Hurricane Ernesto on Florida
According to the Hurricane Center, beachgoers on the US East Coast must expect a high risk of dangerous surf backflow for several days.
Impact of Ernesto Florida: Hurricane Ernesto could disrupt your Florida beach plans. Here’s the schedule and what to expect
Key messages from the National Hurricane Center: What you need to know about Hurricane Ernesto
Waves generated by Ernesto are affecting portions of the Bahamas, Bermuda, the East Coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada. Dangerous surf and rip current conditions are expected to continue in these areas over the next few days. In southeastern Newfoundland, large breakers could cause flooding, particularly along southwest-facing coasts from Burin East to Avalon. Please consult your local weather service products and avoid the water if lifeguards advise you to do so.
What else is there and how likely is it that there will be an increase?
The National Hurricane Center reported no further disruptions as of 5 a.m. Monday.
Interactive map: Which tropical storms and hurricanes have hit your region in the past?
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is September 10, with peak activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
Heavy rainfall forecast
What happens next?
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