Hurricane Ernesto dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and knocked out power for nearly half of all customers in the US territory Wednesday as it threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda. The storm was over open water about 675 miles south-southwest of Bermuda early Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 85mph and moving northwest at 16mph, the AP reports.
- A hurricane watch was issued for Bermuda, where tropical storm conditions were possible Friday and hurricane conditions were possible Saturday. Tropical storm warnings were discontinued for Puerto Rico and its outlying islands of Vieques and Culebra and for the US and British Virgin Islands after the storm passed.