The National Hurricane Center (CNH) reported that the hurricane fiona It made landfall in the Dominican Republic at 3:30 a.m. this Monday with winds of 150 kilometers per hour.
“Doppler radar data indicates that Hurricane #Fiona has made landfall in the Dominican Republic near Boca de Yuma,” the center said in a report that indicates 3:30 a.m. on September 19 as the time and date of arrival in the nation of the phenomenon, which has category 1.
Its location is as follows: 18.4°N 68.5°W.
Boca del Yuma is in the province of La Altagracia, on the east coast of the Dominican Republic.
The agency, based in Miami, United States, explained that its maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated at 90 mph, which is 150 km/h.
Behaviour
Fiona slightly altered its trajectory and took a west-northwest direction, which placed the phenomenon directly over the eastern provinces of the country, according to the 11:00 p.m. report from the CNH.
The new trajectory put the hurricane on its way to hit the provinces of La Altagracia, La Romana, El Seibo, Hato Mayor and leaving through Samaná, so it could impact Los Haitises National Park.
At 11:00 p.m. downtown hurricane fiona it was located near latitude 18.0 north, longitude 68.1 west, farther south than originally projected.
“Fiona is moving west northwest near 17 km/h. A northwestward motion is forecast to begin overnight and continue through Monday, followed by a turn to the north-northwest on Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will move over the eastern sectors of the Dominican Republic tonight and Monday, and near the Turks and Caicos Islands or to the east on Tuesday.
With its category one hurricane force, it caused rains and strong winds early this Monday in the province of La Altagracia, mainly in the tourist area of Punta Cana.
Around 2:00 a.m. this Monday, people reported through social networks how the hurricane winds were in Bávaro and Punta Cana.
In the previous bulletin, data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane aircraft indicated that some strengthening was forecast during the next 48 hours from Fiona.
“Hurricane force winds extend out to 45 km from the center and tropical storm force winds extend out to 220 km. A gust of 93 km/h was recently measured in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic,” it added.
Fiona is the first cyclone to make landfall in the Dominican Republic in 18 years.
