Ernesto Listing Near Mexican Coast

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Tropical Storm Ernesto, the fifth named storm of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season, is skirting the Mexican coast in the vicinity of Coatzacoalos.

At 2 p.m., the center of the storm was located about 5 miles east of Coatzacoalcos with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph with some higher gusts. Ernesto was moving to the west at near 5 mph.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been posted from Veracruz to Chilitepec, Mexico.

Ernesto is forecast to continue a west-southwest motion over the next 48 hours with a decrease in forward speed. As it moves over the high terrain of Mexico, Ernesto is expected to weaken slightly.

The storm system is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rain over Veracruz, Tabasco, Puebla and Oaxaca; some areas could see up to 15 inches of rain. These rains could produce mudslides and life threatening flash floods.

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