Accuweather.com: Tropical Storm Ernesto, despite a ragged appearance, continues to move westward, impacting the Windward Islands and on a path for the Caribbean over the weekend.
Tropical Storm Ernesto will produce winds in excess of 40 mph, a storm surge of 1 to 3 feet and heavy, flooding rains as it approaches the Windward Islands into the first part of the weekend. A wind gust of 63 mph has been measured in St. Lucia this morning as Ernesto moved nearby.
According to Meteorologist Andy Mussoline, “Strong wind shear, an inhibitor of tropical development, will limit the potential for rapid strengthening over the next couple of days. However, the wind shear is expected to weaken during the weekend, where the opportunity for further strengthening is possible.”
Tropical Storm Ernesto will travel on a nearly due west path through the weekend, taking it across the Windward Islands and through the Caribbean Sea.
By the first part of next week, the system could have direct impacts anywhere in the vicinity from Honduras to Belize to the western tip of Cuba.
Looking at impacts to the United States, the system, potentially a tropical storm or greater by then, could move into southern parts of the Gulf of Mexico during the latter part of next week.