Hurricane Fiona, category 1, entered the Dominican Republic on Monday through Cabo San Rafael (east of the country), with winds of 140 kilometers per hour and higher gusts, reported the National Meteorological Office (Onamet).
In its latest bulletin, Onamet explained that, according to satellite and radar images, Fiona entered this local morning and at 04:00 local time (08:00 GMT) she was located about 20 kilometers southwest of Punta Cana, where They register moderate to heavy rains and maximum sustained winds of 79 kilometers / hour, with a gust of about 124.
This hurricane, the third of the current cyclone season, is moving west/northwest at about 15 km/h.
Hurricane-force winds extend about 45 kilometers outside its center and storm-force winds about 220 kilometers.
If it maintains its trajectory, the center of Fiona will move in the next few hours through the east of El Seibo and the northern sector of Hato Mayor, and then probably continue through Samaná.
The satellite images show “a dense and compact cloudy activity producing moderate to heavy downpours and storms over La Altagracia, El Seibo, La Romana, Hato Mayor, San Pedro de Macorís, Monte Plata, Samaná, Sánchez Ramírez and some sectors of the Greater Santo Domingo”, adds the Onamet.
Numerical prediction models indicate that Hurricane Fiona will generate accumulated rainfall that will range between 100 and 300 millimeters, which may be higher in isolated points, especially in higher areas, up to about 450 millimeters.
Given this situation, the warning of urban flooding, flooding of rivers, streams and ravines, as well as landslides in provinces such as San Pedro de Macorís, Sánchez Ramírez, La Altagracia, La Romana, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, Monte Plata is maintained. , María Trinidad Sánchez, Samaná and Duarte.
The Onamet also maintains the weather alert for the provinces of Santo Domingo, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, Monseñor Nouel, La Vega, Azua, Peravia and Barahona, Hermanas Mirabal, Valverde, Montecristi, Santiago Rodríguez and Santiago Espaillat.
Much of the Dominican Republic will be under the effects of the hurricane, so the entire country is on alert (thirteen provinces in red level, the maximum, including Greater Santo Domingo and eighteen in yellow) and this Monday has been declared non-working and there are no classes.
It is expected that when Fiona leaves Dominican territory, she will do so with a category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, out of a maximum of 5.
Fiona arrives in the Dominican Republic after hitting Puerto Rico on Sunday, where it caused damage described as “catastrophic”, a general blackout and significant flooding.