Tropical Storm Fiona puts several Leeward Islands on alert

Tropical Storm Fiona, the sixth named storm of the 2022 Atlantic Season has placed a number of Leeward islands on a hurricane watch.

The watch has been issued for Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, and Anguilla, as Fiona approaches the islands.

Tropical Storm Fiona is located 544 miles east of the Leeward Islands and is packing winds that are near 50 miles per hour.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 137 miles to the east of Fiona’s center of circulation.

Based on a forecast from the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) there will be little change in Fiona’s strength over the next few days.

The center of Fiona is expected to pass through the Leeward Islands late Friday night, before moving near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend.

The storm is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of three to six inches, with isolated higher amounts across the northern Leeward Islands, the British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and eastern Hispaniola.

These rains may cause flash and urban flooding, as well as isolated mudslides in areas of higher terrain.

Fiona’s swells are expected to begin affecting the northern Leeward Islands by early Friday. These swells have the potential to create dangerous surf and rip current conditions.