TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT STATEMENT
WHCA31 TAPA
TROPICAL STORM FIONA WARNING STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
6:20 PM ECT THU 15 SEP 2022
…TROPICAL STORM FIONA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE AREA…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ST. KITTS AND NEVIS. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE
WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM FIONA IS FORECAST TO IMPACT THE ISLANDS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AS A STRONG
TROPICAL STORM. THEREFORE, IT POSES AN MEDIUM THREAT WITH THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS FROM STRONG STORM-FORCE WINDS, HIGH SEAS AND MODERATE FLOODING,
RESULTING IN LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS AND DISRUPTIONS TO DAILY LIFE. TO BE SAFE,
IMPLEMENT YOUR HURRICANE DISASTER PLAN.
AT 5 PM ECT OR 2100 UTC, THE CENTRE OF TROPICAL STORM FIONA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.3 NORTH, LONGITUDE 55.4 WEST OR ABOUT 487 MILES EAST OF ST. KITTS AND ABOUT 479 MILES EAST OF NEVIS. THE STORM IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT 14 MPH.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ON ITS FORECAST TRACK, THE STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE MOST LIKELY TO START LATE FRIDAY EVENING BUT COULD START AS EARLY AS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. ONCE STORM- FORCE WINDS START, THEY SHOULD
NOT LAST FOR MORE THAN 8 HOURS. THERE IS THE REASONABLE WORST-CASE OF FIONA IMPACTING THE ISLANDS AS A STRONG TROPICAL STORM WITH WINDS OF 60 TO 73 MPH WITH HURRICANE-FORCE GUSTS, FOR WHICH PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE. ON THE OTHER HAND,
AT THE REASONABLE BEST CASE, THE MODERATE WIND SHEAR WEAKENS OR PREVENT FURTHER
STRENGTHENING OF THE SYSTEM.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM THE SYSTEM INCLUDES CLOSURE OF THE COUNTRY, WEAKLY CONSTRUCTED
HOUSES SUFFER BLOWN ROOFS OR HOUSE COLLAPSE, LOCALIZED LOSS OF COMMUNICATION AND
ELECTRICITY SUPPLY DUE TO DAMAGED POWER LINES, LOSS OF CROPS AND LIVESTOCK AND FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC LOSSES. A MARINE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED AND A FLOOD WATCH WILL BE ISSUED THIS EVENING FOR FRIDAY/SATURDAY.
RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR TROPICAL STORM FIONA CLOSELY, CHECK THEIR DISASTER SUPPLY KIT AND IMPLEMENT THEIR HURRICANE DISASTER PLANS IN PREPARATION FOR HAZARDOUS STORMY WEATHER.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE AT AROUND 12 AM ECT 0400 UTC
TONIGHT.
FORECASTER
DALE DESTIN
