Hurricane Ernesto made a transition to an extratropical cyclone east of Newfoundland on Tuesday.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of former Hurricane Ernesto was located at latitude 49.0°N and longitude 44.7°W which put the center about 420 miles (675 km) east-northeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.  Ernesto was moving toward the northeast at 37 m.p.h. (59 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 70 m.p.h. (110 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 987 mb.

Former Hurricane Ernesto made a transition to an extratropical cyclone over the Atlantic Ocean east of Newfoundland.  Ernesto moved over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 14°C.  It moved under strong upper level westerly winds in the middle latitudes.  Those winds caused strong vertical wind shear.  The colder water and the strong vertical wind shear caused the structure of former Hurricane Ernesto to change to that of a strong extratropical cyclone.

The circulation around former Hurricane Ernesto was large.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 230 miles (370 km) from the center of Ernesto’s circulation.

The westerly winds in the middle latitudes will steer former Hurricane Ernesto toward the east-northeast during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Ernesto will pass south of Iceland on Wednesday.