Tropical Storm Ernesto Forms, Will Reach Windward Islands Friday

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – After starting out the day a bit disorganized, Tropical Depression 5 has turned into Tropical Storm Ernesto in the Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. advisory clocks Ernesto's maximum sustained winds at 50 miles per hour. The storm is located about 80 miles east of Barbados and is moving west at 22 miles per hour.

Forecasters say Ernesto is becoming better organized as it moves toward the Windward Islands.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: Barbados, St. Vincent, The Grenadines, Dominica, St. Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Greneda and its dependencies.

The National Hurricane Center said some strengthening is expected over the next 48 hours.

Ernesto is expected to continue moving westward, reaching the Windward Islands on Friday. Right now, the storm is forecast to move south of Cuba on Tuesday. However, on average, track forecasts four days out are off by 200 miles.

>> Visit the CBS4 Tropics Page for an interactive Tropical Tracker, the newest computer model tracks and more.