Tropical Storm Ernesto was expected to make landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Tuesday, according to the Miami-based US National Hurricane Centre (NHC). Forecasters expect Ernesto to reach hurricane strength by the time it makes landfall, then weakening as it passes over land. Hurricane warnings were issued for the Yucatan Peninsula and for Belize. The NHC report said the storm was located 350 kilometres east of Chetumal, Mexico, and featured sustained winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour with higher gusts. It was moving west at 22 kilometres per hour. Ernesto's present path takes it north of the coast of Honduras, then crossing the east coast of Yucatan. It was to emerge over the Bay of Campeche Wednesday, the NHC said. The hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean runs from June 1 to November 30.
