TROPICAL STORM FIONA WARNING STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
11:00 PM ECT FRI, SEP 16, 2022

...FIONA HAS INCREASED IN STRENGTH...

...HEAVY SHOWERS STILL EXPECTED TONIGHT...

THIS IS FOR ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE SPECIFIED AREA, IN THIS CASE, TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW.

BASED ON THE LATEST INFORMATION, ANTIGUA AND TO A LESSER EXTENT BARBUDA IS NOW EXPERIENCING TROPICAL CYCLONE IMPACTS FROM TROPICAL STORM FIONA. HENCE, RESIDENTS SHOULD TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTION.

AT 11:00 PM ECT (0300 UTC), THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FIONA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 NORTH, LONGITUDE 62.2 WEST OR ABOUT 43 MILES SOUTH OF ANTIGUA AND 74 MILES SOUTH OF BARBUDA.

FIONA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MPH (22 KM/H). A WEST TO WEST-NORTHWEST MOTION WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR TO 60 MPH (95 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES (220 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND A WIND GUST OF 44 MPH WAS RECENTLY REPORTED AT THE V.C.BIRD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND A WIND GUST OF 56 MPH RECENTLY REPORTED IN THE BETHESDA AREA.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1002 MB (29.59 INCHES).

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK INFORMATION, TROPICAL STORM FIONA HAS MOVED CLOSER TO ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA. THIS MEANS THAT ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA WILL CONTINUE TO BE EXPOSED TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS BUT FIONA IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN MOVING AWAY SHORTLY.

CURRENT SPECIFIC IMPACTS INCLUDE:

WINDS: 30 TO 40 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS WITH POSSIBLE HIGHER GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE LIKELY. THESE WINDY CONDITIONS COULD PRODUCE FLYING DEBRIS FROM SMALL OBJECTS AND DAMAGE TO WEAK INFRASTRUCTURE.

RAINFALL: RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS COULD PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS AS WELL AS MUDSLIDES. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL SATURDAY 8AM.

SEAS: SEAS REACHING BETWEEN 9 TO 15 FEET MAINLY IN STORM SURGE, COULD PRODUCE BATTERING WAVES AND RIP CURRENTS. AS A RESULT MARINERS AND BEACHGOERS SHOULD STAY IN PORT AND AVOID THE BEACHES.

RESIDENTS IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF FIONA.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE AT 2 AM ECT.