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More than 700,000 without power as Hurricane Ernesto heads for Atlantic Canada

Riviera Maya, Q.R. — A system that once had a trajectory for the Caribbean Sea is now heading toward the North Atlantic. Hurricane Ernesto has left parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in disarray after passing over the region early Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Ernesto, which was forecast to gain hurricane status Thursday afternoon, became the Atlantic’s third hurricane of the season late Wednesday morning instead.

Strong winds, flash flooding and power outages have been reported with the arrival of the category 1 hurricane early Wednesday afternoon. According to Luma Energy, more than 700,000 people in Puerto Rico are without power.

“We are preparing to respond as quickly and safely as possible to the expected service interruptions from Ernesto. We will follow the industry-standard restoration process outlined in our Emergency Response Plan.

“The plan prioritizes response and restoration of service to critical facilities that provide vital services to Puerto Rico and to residential special service (LRS) customers, who need electricity to operate their medical equipment,” Luma Energy posted on social media Wednesday prior the arrival of Ernesto.

While Ernesto is not forecast to make landfall along the U.S. east coast, residents are being warned of the possibility of the generation of strong swells as Ernesto passes by this weekend.

Hurricane Ernesto is forecast to cross over Bermuda Saturday then continue north, possibly affecting Atlantic Canada as early as Monday morning.

According to the National Hurricane Centre (NOAA), Ernesto’s development into a hurricane is approximately three-and-a-half weeks ahead of average. Ernesto is expected to remain on a northward trajectory, gaining hurricane strength as it does.

In its initial days of development, the NOAA had the system’s trajectory bound west-northwest for the Caribbean Sea. Shortly after development, the NOAA reported a new northward trajectory, moving into the North Atlantic.