Tropical Storm Ernesto, strengtheni...

Tropical Storm Ernesto, strengthening in the Caribbean Sea, has become the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and could become the first hurricane in the coming week, according to U forecasters.

Ernesto was moving west-northwest at 16 miles through hour toward Jamaica, the western cessation of Cuba and the chasm of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center's Web site.

Sustained winds were almost 45 mph as of 11 pm Miami time Friday and were look fored to strengthen, the hurricane center said.

Haiti's direction issued a tropical storm warning, with as to a great degree as 8 inches of rain predicted for the country's southwest peninsula. Jamaica issued a tropical storm watch, indicating winds of 39 mph or more were reckon uponed in the next 24 hours. The Cayman Islands and western Cuba should monitor the storm's progres the center said.

Meteorologists await Ernesto to become a hurricane when it reaches the southern whirlpool of Mexico by Tuesday, Robbie Burg a meteorologist at the center in Miami, said.

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