Ernesto gains strength as a hurricane over the open Atlantic

Ernesto picked up strength as a hurricane early Monday as it headed farther out in the Atlantic toward easternmost Canada, but the storm is expected to stay offshore, causing powerful swells, dangerous surf and rip currents along the US East Coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

Ernesto's maximum sustained winds increased overnight to near 85 mph (140 kph), with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. It is expected to weaken and become a post-tropical storm by Tuesday, the center said.

The storm was centred about 340 miles (550 kilometres) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was expected to pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and early Tuesday, the center said. Some coastal flooding in Canada was possible.

But people all along the Northeast's coast should be careful, the center said.

"We would certainly encourage anyone going to beaches, really, anywhere along the US East Coast to just pay attention to whatever flags are up, whatever lifeguards are saying, and stay out of the water if it's not safe," David Zelinksy, lead meteorologist with the hurricane center, said Monday.

Flooding in Connecticut from a storm that dropped as much as 10 inches (25.4 centimetres) of rain Sunday was unrelated to Ernesto, weather officials said. The rain washed away roads, flooded basements, and led to rescues and at least one death.

Still, swells generated by Ernesto were affecting portions of the Bahamas, Bermuda and the US East Coast, as well as the Canadian Atlantic coast. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions are likely in these areas during the next couple of days, the hurricane center said.

The weather service posted a coastal flood advisory and warned of a high risk for rip currents along the Atlantic coast through Monday evening, saying they "can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water."

A warning extended from Florida to the Boston area and portions of Maine.

Over the weekend, Ernesto initially had weakened to a tropical storm late Saturday after bringing heavy rain and strong winds to Bermuda, but no injuries or major incidents, Bermuda Security Minister Michael Weeks said Sunday afternoon.

Ernesto previously battered the northeastern Caribbean, leaving tens of thousands of people without water in Puerto Rico.

After cleaning up and removing debris, the Virgin Islands Department of Education said all public schools would resume operations Monday. Public school classes also were slated to start Monday in Puerto Rico, nearly a week after the original opening date.

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