Tropical Storm Ernesto, which formed out of a tropical depression early Saturday, is struggling to stay alive about 450 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. At present, it is no threat to the major land areas in the Eastern Caribbean, according to meteorologist Alan Archer.
"Ernesto was located at 5 a.m. Sunday near 18.9 degrees north latitude, 55.5 degrees west longitude on a west-northwest course at near 17 miles per hour," Archer said.
He noted that strong steering currents from the southwest are inhibiting development of the tropical storm and keeping it away from the islands of the Caribbean.
"Our best estimate is that Ernesto will pass about 350 miles to the northeast of the islands on Monday night," he added. Virgin Islands weather conditions will not be impacted by Ernesto, he said Sunday morning.
The storm's top winds are at 40 miles per hour with little change in strength forecast through Monday, hurricane forecaster Stacy Stewart at the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.
Archer also said forecasters are monitoring a low pressure center associated with a westward moving tropical wave in the far eastern Atlantic. "The 1010 millibar low is located at 10 degrees north latitude, 29 degrees west longitude, about 550 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. It is somewhat poorly organized at the present time as it moves to the west at 10-15 miles per hour," he said.
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