Tropical Storm Ernesto was nearly a hurricane on Wednesday morning as it continued to drench Puerto Rico with heavy rain and strong winds.

Ernesto, the third hurricane of 2024 in the Atlantic, could also become the second major hurricane this season, according to the National Hurricane Center. A major hurricane is a Category 3 or stronger storm.

Ernesto is no threat to the continental U.S.

Forecasters now think Ernesto will strengthen to a Category 3 storm on Friday as it heads northward on a path toward Bermuda. The hurricane center’s intensity forecast shows Ernesto peaking with 115 mph winds in 48 hours, but it could begin to weaken after that.

The hurricane center’s official forecast track shows Ernesto moving very close to or over the island this weekend as a hurricane, but likely not a major hurricane.

As of 7 a.m. CDT Wednesday, the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto was located about 135 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was tracking to the northwest at 16 mph.

Ernesto had winds of 70 mph, just 4 mph shy of hurricane force. The hurricane center expects Ernesto to become a hurricane later this morning.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra.

The hurricane center said that on the current forecast track, the center of Ernesto will pass north of Puerto Rico this morning and then continue to take a more northward path that will have it nearing Bermuda on Saturday.

Forecasters said Ernesto could bring 4 to 6 inches of rain to the Virgin Islands and 6 to 8 inches to parts of southeastern Puerto Rico.

The storm is also churning up the ocean and sending big waves and the threat of rip currents toward the Bahamas. The risk for bigger waves and rip currents is expected to reach the U.S. East Coast late Thursday into Friday, forecasters said.

There are no other systems being watched for development as of Wednesday. The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30.