Hurricane Fiona grows to expected to become Cat. 4 storm
MIAMI - Hurricane Fiona grew Monday evening to a Category 2 storm after it battered Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and headed towards Turks and Caicos.
According to the 11 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, the storm was packing sustained winds of 110 miles per hour or more and was slowly moving northwest.
A hurricane warning remained in effect for the Turks and Caicos with a hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings issued for parts of the Dominican Republic, according to the National Weather Service.
The latest advisory said the storm could strengthen to Category 4 status as it moves back over the Atlantic Ocean around Wednesday afternoon.
"It's a very well-identified eye," CBS Miami chief meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said Monday evening.
The storm made landfall Monday around 3:30 a.m. along the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic near Boca de Yuma with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour.
Fiona was near the northern coast and the system was moving to the northwest at 8 mph with 85 mph winds.
Heavy rain and catastrophic flooding continue across much of Puerto Rico where Fiona made landfall on Sunday.
Fiona is forecast to move northwest and become a Category 2 before it moves near or over parts of the Turks and Caicos. Fiona is then expected to strengthen into a major Category 3 Hurricane by midweek as it moves north and then northeastward towards or near Bermuda.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo and Turks and Caicos. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the north coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Frances Viejo westward to Puerto Plata.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, the north coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Frances Viejo westward to Puerto Plata and the SE Bahamas. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the South coast of the Dominican Republic west of Cabo Caucedo to Barahona.