INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Tropical Storm Ernesto became the fifth named storm of the hurricane season earlier this week. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, this system is located just to the east of Puerto Rico with maximum winds of 60 mph.

Where is Ernesto heading?

By Tuesday night, the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto will pass Puerto Rico. Ernesto will then accelerate northward in the open water on the west side of a high-pressure system. The most likely scenario is for Ernesto to become a hurricane and remain out to sea. Bermuda will be watching this system closely by Saturday.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center is forecasting Ernesto to reach Category 2 status with maximum winds of 110 mph. In order for a hurricane to be a Category 3, maximum winds have to reach at least 111 mph.

Rough surf can be expected up the East Coast later this week with Ernesto spinning offshore and creating large waves. This will likely be the biggest impact from this system on the US.

Hurricane season is just beginning to ramp up. The month of September is the peak of the season and the NOAA is still forecasting an above-average year with named storms.