Tropical Storm Ernesto forms east of the Lesser Antilles

Tropical Storm Ernesto is the 5th named storm of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday August 2, 2012 -  The National Hurricane center's latest report indicates that tropical depression 5 has strenthened into the fifth tropical storm of the season.

The 5 p.m. AST advisory indicates Tropical Storm Ernesto was located near 12.8 north 56.6 west or about 295 miles east of the Windward Islands and is moving quickly to the west at 22 MPH. Tropical storm warnings issued for portions of the Lesser Antilles. the NHC said.

Reports from an air force reserve hurricane hunter plane indicate that "the maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some slight strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours."

"Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center, mainly to the north and northeast" the NHC said.

The estimated minimum central pressure for the system has dropped to 1006 mb.

Tropical Storm Ernesto is the 5th named storm of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

According to Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray of the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane season is expected to see about 13 named storms, including 5 hurricanes, with two of them being major.  Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)