Ernesto moves quickly into Caribbean Sea, another system on the way

Ernesto's current forecast track has it passing south of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands as a category one hurricane on Monday afternoon.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Friday August 3, 2012 - Tropical Storm Ernesto crossed the eastern Caribbean islands of Barbados and st Lucia with minimal impact and at 5 pm the National Hurricane Center said the storm was 210 miles west of St Lucia.

The 5 pm NHC advisory said Ernesto was located at 13.9 N, 64.1 W and was moving west at 21 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

Ernesto's current forecast track has it passing south of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands as a category one hurricane on Monday afternoon.

“Total rainfall accumulations of 2 to 3 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 5 inches are still possible across the Windward Islands through tonight” the hurricane center said.

Only three days in, August continues to be a busy month for the 2012 atlantic hurricane season with the hurricane center reporting the a "well defined low pressure area associated with a tropical wave is located over the eastern tropical atlantic about 230 miles southwest of the Cape Verde islands."

According to the latest NHC advisory the system has a 70% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours.

The NHC report said that "although environmental conditions are currently conducive for tropical cyclone formation, dry air and cooler waters could inhibit additional development in a day or two."

The system is located at 12.8 N, 26.0 W. Winds are 35 mph and the system is moving to the west northwest at 15 mph the NHC said. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)