FIRST ALERT: Tropical Storm Warnings issued for Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Tropical Storm Fiona will approach Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands by Saturday.

THE LATEST UPDATE

At 11:00 AM, the center of Tropical Storm Fiona was located near latitude 16.0 North, longitude 59.4 West. Fiona is moving toward the west near 14 mph. Data from Air Force Reserve and NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast during the next few days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb.

FORECAST

A westward motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected through early Sunday, followed by a turn toward the west-northwest and northwest Sunday and Sunday night. On the forecast track, the center of Fiona is expected to move across the Leeward Islands tonight, near or just south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Saturday into Sunday, and approach the southern coast of the Dominican Republic Sunday night and early Monday.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra.

Tropical storm conditions are expected across portions of the Leeward Islands within the warning area beginning this afternoon and will spread westward to the U.S. Virgin Islands on Saturday and across Puerto Rico late Saturday and Saturday night. Tropical storm conditions are possible on Dominica this evening or tonight and across the British Virgin Islands on Saturday.

Fiona is expected to produce 6-10 inches of rain for the Eastern Dominican Republic with totals of 16 inches possible. A total of 4-6 inches of rain is forecast for Turks & Caicos & the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Leeward and Windward islands are forecast to reach 3-6 inches of rainfall.

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