Tropical Depression Seven is now Tropical Storm Fiona, and could become a hurricane before arriving near the Dominican Republic Sunday night or Monday, according to a report.
Weather.com said that Tropical Storm Fiona tracking toward the northern Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, where it could produce flooding rainfall and strong wind gusts this weekend, before becoming a hurricane next week.
It added that the tropical storm “is located just east of the Leeward Islands in the western Atlantic Ocean and is moving westward.”
The National Hurricane Center has estimated Fiona to have maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
Tropical storm warning have also been in effect for Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis, Montserrat, and Anguilla, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Dominica and the British Virgin Islands have been issued with a a tropical storm watch, which means that “tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours,” according to the center.
Islands affected by the tropical storm should brace for heavy rainfall that could cause flooding.
“Areas from the Leeward Islands to Puerto Rico to eastern Hispaniola to the Turks and Caicos could see rain totals of 3 to 8 inches (locally higher) from Fiona. That heavy rain could trigger dangerous flooding and mudslides this weekend into early next week, particularly over mountainous terrain,” Weather.com said.
As for storm surges, the National Hurricane Center said that “localized coastal flooding will be possible along the coasts of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in areas of onshore winds Saturday into Sunday.”
The Caribbean Hurricane Network has also been diligently keeping tabs on Fiona.
In Antigua and Barbuda, the VC Bird International Airport has closed ahead of the tropical storm’s wrath.
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