Hurricane Fiona can potentially be a severe storm for parts of Atlantic Canada this weekend. Fiona is now a Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph).
At the 8:00 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Fiona’s present movement is to the north-northeast, moving at about 13 mph (22 kph). Fiona is 455 miles (735 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda.
A Hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda today. Forecasters said that Fiona is expected to approach Bermuda late Thursday, potentially still as a “Category 4 storm, and to remain so through Saturday,” the hurricane center said.
Fiona’s powerful center is currently expected to pass west of Bermuda, sparing the British island territory its worst winds. But sustained winds of at least tropical-storm-force — 39 to 73 mph — are expected to reach Bermuda by late Thursday or early Friday, the center said.
The US State Department issued a travel advisory Tuesday urging US citizens to reconsider travel to Bermuda because of the storm. The department also authorized family members of US government personnel to leave the island in anticipation of the storm.
Though the storm isn’t expected to track near the US East Coast, it could generate onshore waves of 8 to 10 feet there over the weekend, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said Wednesday. “It’s not a good weekend to go to the shore and get in the water — it’s time to stay out of the water,” Myers said of the East Coast.
On the forecast track, the center of Fiona is forecast to pass just to the east of Bermuda tonight, approach Nova Scotia on Friday, and move across Nova Scotia and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Saturday.
CBC Canada is reporting that Fiona’s post-tropical transition does not mean the storm will be weaker, but its structure will change. It will grow in scale and cover even more territory.
While the “cone of uncertainty” is still quite large, it’s narrowing each day. Forecast models continue to project landfall over Cape Breton or the eastern mainland of Nova Scotia.
However, the potential impacts from Fiona are becoming more clear. Rain will arrive well ahead of Fiona. A cold front moving in from the west will bring its own rain on through Thursday and into Friday and then begin to tap into moisture from Fiona.
The heaviest rain is expected as Fiona tracks through on Friday night and into Saturday. The prolonged heavy rainfall will bring the potential for flooding, especially along and to the left of the track. Rainfall amounts in those areas could reach 100-150 millimeters, or even more.
Remember this – this storm is huge and it is growing in size. Very strong winds are expected across a large area. With the trees in full leaf, the power outage potential will be high. Please take local warnings seriously.
