The Jamaican government issued a tropical storm warning as Ernesto headed toward the island nation Saturday, while Tropical Storm Florence formed west of the Cape Verde Islands, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
As of the latest update at 5 p.m., Tropical Storm Ernesto was moving west at 18 mph about 255 miles south of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and about 495 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Ernesto had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Some strengthening is possible during the next 48 hours, and Ernesto was forecast to become a hurricane within the next day or so, the National Hurricane Center said.
Tropical storm conditions were expected in Jamaica by Sunday afternoon.
Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches was expected in Jamaica as Ernesto passes by, forecasters said.
Tropical Depression Becomes TS Ernesto
Meantime, Tropical Storm Florence had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving west-northwest at 15 mph about 515 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. The storm was given a name earlier in the day when it was about 330 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.
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There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect for Florence.
Here is a "forecast cone" provided by NOAA for Florence:
