Tropical Storm Fiona bringing heavy rains to Puerto Rico

Tropical Storm Fiona was forecast to determination crossed the Caribbean's easternmost islands Friday nighttime earlier slowing to a spot conscionable southbound of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico precocious Saturday and Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Friday's forecast accrued the estimated rainfall totals for the affected islands, to arsenic overmuch arsenic a ft (30 centimeters) successful places crossed eastbound and confederate Puerto Rico and 16 inches (41 centimeters) successful the eastbound Dominican Republic. That overmuch rainfall whitethorn origin flash floods and mudslides successful higher terrain, with coastal flooding and life-threatening surf imaginable arsenic Fiona's winds stroke ashore, the halfway said.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season's sixth named tempest was sustaining apical winds of astir 50 mph (85 kph) erstwhile an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter craft measured its advancement Friday morning, the halfway said. Little alteration successful spot is forecast during the adjacent fewer days.

At 8 a.m. EDT connected Friday, Fiona was moving astatine 15 mph (24 kph), astir 175 miles (285 kilometers) eastbound of Guadeloupe. Tropical tempest warnings were successful effect for the Leeward Islands, and a tropical tempest ticker was issued for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Dominica.