Tropical Storm Ernesto was expected to become a hurricane by Tuesday evening as it continued to move across the Caribbean towards the coast of Honduras, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 11 p.m., Ernesto had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph as it moved west-northwest at 13 mph about 265 miles east of Isla Roatan, Honduras.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Chetumal to Punta Allen on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and the entire coast of Belize, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for the Honduran coast from the Nicaragua border west to Punta Sal, and on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Punta Allen to Tulum.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the coast of Honduras from the Honduras/Nicaragua border westward to Punta Sal, including the Bay Islands, and north of Punta Allen to Tulum on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
A tropical storm watch was in effect for the coast of Honduras from west of Punta Sal to the Honduras/Guatemala border and north of Tulum to Cancun on the east coast of the Yucatan.
Ernesto is expected to continue moving toward the west-northwest for the next 48 hours and move north of the coast of Honduras Monday night and Tuesday and approach the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday.
The storm was expected to drop 3 to 5 inches of rain along the northern Honduran coast and the northeast coast of Nicaragua.
Ernesto is expected to strengthen over the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Florence weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph as it moved west at 12 mph about 1515 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands.
Florence was expected to continue to weaken and there were no watches or warnings in effect.
