Tropical Depression Seven with 35 mph winds continues moving westward in the Atlantic with no change in strength. The system is expected to become a tropical storm Wednesday evening or Thursday.
Following hurricanes Danielle and Earl last week, Tropical Storm Fiona formed Wednesday in the Atlantic and and is expected to move toward the northeastern Caribbean islands and Puerto Rico late this week and into the weekend.
A tropical storm is a cyclone with maximum sustained winds above 39 mph. Once a tropical storms forms, the National Hurricane Center gives it a name off on one of six rotating lists.
Tropical Storm Fiona has sustained winds of 50 mph with higher gusts.
Where is Tropical Storm Fiona?
Tropical Storm Fiona is centered about 600 miles east of the northeastern Caribbean islands and is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms over the central tropical Atlantic.
ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON REACHES CLIMATOLOGICAL PEAK SEPT. 10
Tropical Storm Fiona
(FOX Weather)
What is the forecast for Tropical Storm Fiona?
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the tropical storm is expected to generally move westward over the next few days.
On this path, Fiona will move through the northeastern Caribbean islands on Friday, then track near the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend.
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What are the impacts of Tropical Storm Fiona?
Recent rainfall has saturated the soils in Puerto Rico, so any additional heavy rain from the tropical cyclone this weekend could lead to flooding in urban areas and small streams, as well as trigger mudslides in the archipelago’s mountainous terrain.
“The rain is an issue – probably the biggest issue right now so far – because of its mountainous terrain, and the land is very, very saturated in Puerto Rico,” FOX Weather meteorologist John Marshall said. “They’ve had previous rainfalls from the other systems that worked through there.”
WHERE TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES TYPICALLY OCCUR DURING EACH MONTH OF ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON
A table showing an alphabetical list of the 2022 Atlantic tropical cyclone names as selected by the World Meteorological Organization. The official Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
(FOX Weather)
Tropical Storm Watches were issued by several island nations in the northeast Caribbean on Wednesday evening ahead of the arrival of any squally weather.
A Tropical Storm Watch means sustained winds of over 39 mph are possible within the next 48 hours. Tropical storm conditions are possible in portions of the northern Leeward Islands by Friday night.
2022 Atlantic hurricane season off to a slow start
Early to mid-September is the time of the season when sea-surface temperatures are the warmest, upper-level winds relax and drier air is typically not widespread.
Unlike recent active years, dry air has been more dominant than usual across the eastern parts of the Atlantic Basin, which has stunted the organization and development of tropical cyclones.
August ended without seeing a single tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin for only the second time in the satellite era.
HURRICANE SEASON 2022: AUGUST FINISHES WITHOUT ANY NAMED STORMS FOR FIRST TIME IN DECADES
During an average year, eight named storms and three hurricanes have typically already formed by now, but so far in 2022, the tally stands at just six named storms and two hurricanes.
(FOX Weather)