Ernesto gains strength as a hurricane over the open Atlantic [Video]

Ernesto picked up strength as a hurricane early Monday as it headed farther out in the Atlantic toward easternmost Canada, but the storm is expected to stay offshore, causing powerful swells, dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast, the National Hurricane Center said.Ernesto’s maximum sustained winds increased Monday to near 90 mph, with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. It is expected to weaken and become a post-tropical storm by Tuesday, the center said.The storm was centered about 320 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was expected to pass near southeastern Newfoundland late Monday and early Tuesday, the center said. Some coastal flooding in Canada was possible.People all along the Northeast’s coast should remain careful, the center said.“We would certainly encourage anyone going to beaches, really, anywhere along the U.S. East Coast to just …