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Fiona Strengthens to Major Hurricane over Turks and Caicos

Hurricane Fiona strengthened to a major hurricane over the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday morning. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Fiona was located at latitude 21.6°N and longitude 71.2°W which put it about 10 miles (15 km) northwest of Grand Turk. Fiona was moving toward the north-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 135 m.p.h. (220 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 960 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the Turks and Caicos. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the Southeastern Bahamas including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana and the Ragged Islands.

Hurricane Fiona strengthened on Tuesday morning and it became the first Atlantic major hurricane in 2022. A circular eye with a diameter of 18 miles (30 km) was present at the center of Fiona’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Fiona. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Hurricane Fiona. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 20.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 11.5 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 32.1. Hurricane Fiona was capable of causing regional major damage.

Hurricane Fiona will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Fiona will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Fiona is likey to intensify during the next 24 hours. Fiona could strengthen to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. If the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall, then an eyewall replacement cycle could cause Hurricane Fiona to weaken temporarily.

Hurricane Fiona will move around the western side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Fiona toward the north during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track Hurricane Fiona will bring strong gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the Turks and Caicos and Southeastern Bahamas on Tuesday. An upper level trough near the East Coast of the U.S. will steer Fiona toward the northeast on Wednesday. Hurricane Fiona will affect Bermuda on Thursday night. Fiona could be a major hurricane when it gets to Bermuda.

Hurricane Fiona Strengthens Southeast of the Turks and Caicos

Hurricane Fiona strengthened over the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the Turks and Caicos. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Fiona was located at latitude 20.6°N and longitude 70.3°W which put it about 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Grand Turk. Fiona was moving toward the north-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 971 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the Turks and Caicos. A Hurricane Watch was also in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Caucedo to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the Southeastern Bahamas including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana and the Ragged Islands.

Hurricane Fiona resumed intensifying after the core moved north of the Dominican Republic on Monday.. A circular eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) quickly reformed after the center of Fiona moved over the warm water north of the Dominican Republic. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Fiona. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Fiona. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Fiona will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Fiona will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Fiona will intensify to a major hurricane on Tuesday. Fiona could strengthen to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale during the next 36 hours. If the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall, then an eyewall replacement cycle could cause Hurricane Fiona to weaken later this week.

Hurricane Fiona will move around the western side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Fiona toward the north-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track the core of Hurricane Fiona will pass east of the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday. An upper level trough near the East Coast of the U.S. will steer Fiona toward the northeast on Wednesday. Hurricane Fiona will affect Bermuda on Thursday night. Fiona could be a major hurricane when it gets to Bermuda.

Hurricane Fiona Hits Eastern Dominican Republic

Hurricane Fiona hit the eastern Dominican Republic on Monday morning. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Fiona was located at latitude 18.8°N and longitude 69.0°W which put it about 45 miles (75 km) southeast of Samana, Dominican Republic. Fiona was moving toward the northwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 977 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, Domincan Republic. A Hurricane Warning was also in effect for the Turks and Caicos. A Hurricane Watch was also in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Frances Viejo to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Frances Viejo to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Tropical Storm Warnings were also in effect for the Southeastern Bahamas including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana and the Ragged Islands. A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Caucedo to Barahona, Dominican Republic.

The eye of Hurricane Fiona made landfall on the east coast of the Dominican Republic south-southwest of Punta Cana on Monday morning. Fiona continued to intensify until the eye made landfall. The eye had a diameter of 18 miles (30 km). A ring of strong thunderstorms surrounded the eye and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Fiona. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Fiona. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Fiona is likely to weaken during the next few hours while the eye is over the eastern Dominican Republic. Fiona will move through an environment mostly favorable for intensification after it moves north of the Dominican Republic. Fiona will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Fiona could rapidly intensify to a major hurricane after it moves north of the Dominican Republic.

Hurricane Fiona will move around the western side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Fiona toward the northwest during the next 24 hours. Hurricane Fiona will move toward the north when it reaches the western end of the high pressure system. On its anticipated track Hurricane Fiona will move across the eastern Dominican Republic during the next few hours. Fiona will bring strong gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the eastern Dominican Republic. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations. Bands in the eastern side of Fiona’s circulation will continue to drop locally heavy rain on Puerto Rico on Monday. Flood Warnings are in effect for parts of Puerto Rico. Hurricane Fiona will be east of the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday. Fiona could be near Bermuda on Thursday night.

Hurricane Fiona Drops Heavy Rain on Puerto Rico

Hurricane Fiona dropped heavy rain on Puerto Rico on Sunday and there were numerous reports of floods. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Hurricane Fiona was located at latitude 18.0°N and longitude 68.1°W which put it about 45 miles (75 km) south-southeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Fiona was moving toward the west-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 982 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques. A Hurricane Warning was also in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo, Domincan Republic. A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the Turks and Caicos. A Hurricane Watch was also in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Frances Viejo to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Frances Viejo to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Tropical Storm Warnings were also in effect for the Southeastern Bahamas including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana and the Ragged Islands. A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Cabo Caucedo to Barahona, Dominican Republic.

The eye of Hurricane Fiona was over the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Sunday night. The eye passed over the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon. Heavy rain fell over much of Puerto Rico and there were many reports of flash floods. There were also reports of wind damage in parts of Puerto Rico and electricity was unavailable in most places.

Hurricane Fiona was strengthening gradually on Sunday night. An eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) was at the center of Fiona. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Fiona. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Fiona. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 140 miles (220 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Fiona will move through an environment mostly favorable for intensification during the next 48 hours. Fiona will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. The center of Hurricane Fiona could pass over eastern Dominican Republic on Monday. Since some of the circulation around Hurricane Fiona will pass over land, that could cause Fiona to weaken when the center is near land. Fiona will be in an environment very favorable for intensification when it moves north of the Dominican Republic. It could rapidly intensify to a major hurricane early next week.

Hurricane Fiona will move around the western side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Fiona toward the northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track the center of Hurricane Fiona could make landfall in the eastern Dominican Republic near Punta Cana on Monday morning. Bands in the eastern side of Fiona’s circulation will continue to drop locally heavy rain on Puerto Rico on Monday. Hurricane Fiona will also bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to the eastern part of the Dominican Republic early on Monday.