Tropical storm Ernesto reaches Caribbean

Tropical storm Ernesto hit the Caribbean Friday with wind speeds of 85 kph, but warnings had been discontinued, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre said accroding to dpa. The storm was expected to move across the eastern and central Caribbean during the next 48 hours after passing over the Windward Islands that include Saint Lucia. It could reach Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba in the coming days, meteorologists said. The affected governments along the island chain that separates the Atlantic from the Caribbean had cancelled previous storm warnings, the hurricane centre said. Damage reports were not available. Ernesto is the fifth named Atlantic tropical storm since hurricane season began in June.