A Hurricane Warning has been issued for Puerto Rico and a Hurricane Watch is in effect for parts of Dominican Republic after Tropical Storm Fiona threaded between Guadeloupe and Montserrat while entering the eastern Caribbean and dropped heavy rains over the northern Leeward Islands.
As of 5:00 p.m., there is a Hurricane Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the South coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano westward to Cabo Caucedo and the North coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano westward to Puerto Plata.
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Forecasters said the storm would slowly make its way toward Puerto Rico on Saturday and would pass near or over the U.S. territory by Sunday morning, with the potential for dangerously heavy rain in isolated spots.
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Fiona was then expected to cross over the Dominican Republic on Monday with the same threat of extreme rains in places that could cause flash floods and mudslides.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Fiona was then likely to strengthen into a hurricane near the Bahamas by Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lester in the eastern Pacific was on a projected path that could bring landfall near the Acapulco area on Mexico's southwestern coast Saturday night.
Local
Fiona was predicted to bring 12 to 16 inches of rain with local 20 inches possible, particularly across eastern and southern Puerto Rico and about 4 to 8 inches with 12 inches possible, particularly on the far eastern coast of the Dominican Republic. Life-threatening surf also was possible from Fiona's winds, forecasters said.
Fiona, which is the Atlantic hurricane season's sixth named storm, had maximum sustained winds of about 60 mph Saturday afternoon, the center said. It was moving west-northwest at 9 mph, about 160 miles of Ponce, Puerto Rico.
In the Pacific, Lester was expected to remain a tropical storm until hitting the Mexican coast, but forecasters warned of potential dangers from heavy rains.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph Saturday. It was centered 85 miles southeast of Acapulco and moving to the northwest at 10 mph.
