(NEW YORK) -- Tropical Storm Ernesto is churning in the Atlantic and taking aim on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and the Leeward Islands.
Tuesday night through Wednesday, Puerto Rico could see 10 inches of rain, flash flooding and storm surge up to 3 feet.
Ernesto is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane when it moves out of the Caribbean and into the open Atlantic by the middle of the week.
Ernesto may strengthen to a Category 2 hurricane when it approaches Bermuda late Friday into Saturday morning.
Ernesto is expected to bring rough surf and rip currents to the East Coast by the weekend and next week, but it isn't forecast to make landfall on the U.S. mainland.
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