Tropical Storm Fred formed Tuesday night with Florida in its cone, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm will bring heavy rains and winds across Puerto Rico and over Hispaniola on Wednesday.
At the 11:00 a.m. EDT update, the NHC placed Tropical Storm Fred about 25 miles south-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and 245 miles south-southeast of Grand Turk Island.
With sustained winds of 45 mph (75 KPH), with higher gusts, the storm is moving to the west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph). Minimum central pressure is now 1006 MB or 29.71 inches.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward from the center for 60 miles (95 kilometers), mainly to the northeast of the center. Satellite imagery and reports from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the circulation of Fred has become better defined.
On the forecast track, the disturbance is expected to pass near the southern coast of Puerto Rico, and on Wednesday, it should be near or over Hispaniola. Forecasters say it will also be near the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic on the south coast from Punta Palenque eastward and on the north coast from Cabo Frances Viejo eastward.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Gonaives; the Turks and Caicos Islands; the Southeastern Bahamas; and the Cuban provinces of Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo.
By Friday and into the early part of next week, heavy rainfall associated with this storm will impact Florida and parts of the southeast. Around 3 to 5 inches of rain is possible across the Florida Keys and Florida Peninsula through Monday, with isolated amounts of up to 8 inches.
