MIAMI – Tropical Storm Fiona officially became the sixth named system of the season in the Atlantic Wednesday night, prompting watches over parts of the Leeward Islands.
According to a 5 a.m. Thursday bulletin from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Tropical Storm Fiona was located 580 miles east of the Leeward Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, while moving west at 13 mph.
Fiona is expected to produce 3 to 5 inches of rainfall, with maximum totals of 8 inches over the northern Leeward Islands, British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and eastern Hispaniola. These showers may produce isolated flash and urban flooding, along with isolated landslides in more mountainous areas.
Notices, watches and warnings are in effect
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect:
- Sabah and Sint Eustatius
- San Martin
- Antigua, Barbuda, St
The NHC advises residents of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola to monitor the system’s progress as additional tropical storm watches or warnings will be issued Thursday for parts of those areas.
The Dutch government has issued a tropical storm watch for Sabah and Sint Eustatius. The Government of St. Maarten has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for St. Maarten. The Government of Antigua has issued a tropical storm watch for Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla.
This is how the season is going in the Atlantic
The 2022 hurricane season was relatively quiet, with several weeks without systems and some that did not cause major damage.
Hurricane Earl reached Category 2 in the mid-Atlantic, causing about 40 deaths in various states of Mexico; Daniel became the first Atlantic hurricane of the season.
Before them, storms Alex, Bonnie and Colin formed during the current Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1.
