Puerto Rico braces for storms, potential cyclone

Authorities placed Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands under a tropical storm watch and warned of a potential Category 5 tropical cyclone. The storm, currently designated Invest 98L, continued quickly moving west on Monday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Leeward and Virgin Islands should expect heavy rainfall that could cause flash flooding and mudslides, the center added, with Puerto Rico possibly facing the same later this week. The storm also has a 90 percent chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next two days, NHC said. Authorities plan to name the storm Ernesto if it forms.

Will the U.S. mainland be affected? A forecast path by the National Weather Service showed the storm turning northeast by Thursday and avoiding the southeast U.S. coast.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on Hurricane Beryl’s damage to the Caribbean earlier this summer.