Hurricane Fiona: First major hurricane of the season

Hurricane Fiona has strengthened into a category 3 storm, the first major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic season.

Fiona struck Puerto Rico as a category 1 hurricane over the weekend, causing total power outages for over 1.5 million people.

After 44 hours of non-stop torrential rains, alongside damaging winds, severe flooding inundated the island. In the south-east, an estimated 500-700mm of rain fell.

The storm then hit the Dominican Republic, where its outer rain bands are still lashing the island with rain, now barrelling towards Turks and Caicos as a stronger category 3 system. Tropical storm conditions are expected for the south-eastern Bahamas too, as Fiona nears.

Fiona currently has maximum sustained winds of 115mph, with higher gusts being recorded, though is on the brink of strengthening into a category 4 hurricane after passing the Bahamas.

The location of the Bermuda High will be the steer of the storm system in the coming days as Fiona pivots north-eastwards, staying out at sea.

However, Bermuda remains in the firing line by the end of the week, as Fiona continues to strengthen in unusually warm waters. The Atlantic coast of Canada could also see impacts including rough surf, strong currents and minor flooding.