Iran Press/ America: Fiona has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, reaching sustained winds of 80 mph with gusts of up to 100 mph as it churns in the Caribbean about 50 miles south of Puerto Rico, bringing with it the threats of flooding and mudslides, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest update.
The storm’s impacts have already been felt: At least one death has been reported in Basse-Terre in the French territory of Guadeloupe, according to the vice president of the territory’s environmental agency, who said the capital had been devastated by flooding. And in Puerto Rico – where more than 310,000 customers were without power as of 10:45 a.m. ET Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us – flash flooding has already begun, the National Weather Service said, according to CNN.
The hurricane – the third of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season – is bearing down on Puerto Rico south of the city of Ponce, the hurricane center said. Heavy rain and tropical storm-force winds are already affecting the US Virgin Islands and much of Puerto Rico.
“Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours while Fiona moves near Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and over the southwestern Atlantic,” the hurricane center said. “Hurricane conditions are expected on Puerto Rico today, and are expected in portions of the eastern Dominican Republic tonight and Monday.”
Fiona’s center, on the current forecast, is expected to approach Sunday morning before moving near or over southwestern Puerto Rico in the afternoon or evening.
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