Story highlights
Tropical Storm Ernesto is expected to become a hurricane by Monday night
Florence is no longer a tropical system
Nicaraguan officials say they are evacuating 1,500 people from coastal areas
Ernesto is expected to near the Honduran coast Monday night
Packing maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, Hurricane Ernesto strengthened as it closed in Tuesday on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm is expected to become a hurricane by Monday night.
In Nicaragua, government officials said they were evacuating about 1,500 people in coastal areas and had banned boats from setting sail.
As of 8 p.m. ET, the storm was about 20 miles (35 kilometers) east-northeast of Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico, the center reported. Ernesto was moving west at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Officials in Ciudad del Carmen reported one gust of 58 mph.
The eye of the storm was expected to cross the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday night, then move across the peninsula into the Bay of Campeche by Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Some strengthening is forecast as Ernesto moves over the Caribbean Sea.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Florence continued to weaken.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for the storm, which was some 925 miles (1,485 kilometers) west of the Cape Verde Islands on Sunday night, the hurricane center said.
Maximum sustained winds dipped to 40 mph and further weakening is forecast in the coming days. Florence is expected to become a tropical depression on Monday.
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Journalist Samantha Lugo and CNN’s Sarah Dillingham contributed to this report.