ORLANDO, Fla. – Tropical Storm Fiona has formed in the Atlantic.
Wednesday at 9:45 p.m., the National Hurricane Center upped the status of an Atlantic tropical depression into Tropical Storm Fiona, which is the 6th named storm in the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
As of Wednesday evening, the storm was 650 miles east of The Leeward Islands, packing 50 mph winds and moving west-northwest near 16 mph.
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On the forecast track, the center of the system is forecast to move through the Leeward Islands by Friday night and be near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend.
Regardless of development, the system is likely to bring gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall to portions of the Leeward Islands from Friday through Saturday. Residents in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor its progress.
Many computer models on Wednesday show the system making a sharp turn to the north before approaching Florida, but we will watch to see if that’s the case over the next 10 days or so.
A tropical storm watch has been put into effect for several areas in the Caribbean, including Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius. This means tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, typically within 48 hours.
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Fiona is expected to produce total rainfall of about 3-to-5 inches with maximum totals of 8 inches across the northern Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola. These rains could lead to flooding and mudslides in these areas.
Hurricane season ends Dec. 1.
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