Hurricane Fiona’s not done with us yet. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Bermuda are still reeling from the storm’s destruction — over 60 percent of Puerto Rico is still without power. Fiona is now heading north to make a historic landfall in eastern Canada.
Fiona strengthened to a category-4 hurricane as it approached Bermuda, diminishing to a category-3 as it passed just west of the territory Friday morning. The storm is now expected to impact Nova Scotia late Friday night through Saturday — with maximum sustained winds of 124 MPH (205 KM/H) — according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricanes in Canada are fairly rare, as they typically lose energy and shape as they enter colder waters. While this storm is expected to make landfall as a post-tropical cyclone, it will still have hurricane-force winds and therefore pose a powerful threat. Many Canadian weather experts are concerned, and calling the impending storm “Canada’s Sandy.” There are expected to be major power outages due to dangerous flooding and winds.
Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, amidst widespread power outages, the island saw high temperatures over 100 degrees F (37 degrees C), raising major concerns for heat-related illness across the region. Several communities in Puerto Rico are still isolated after historic flooding caused major damage to infrastructure.
There have been at least five deaths attributed to Fiona — two in Puerto Rico, two in the Dominican Republic, and one in Guadeloupe.
As Currently’s hurricane expert, Glenn Schwartz, explains in his hurricane newsletter — Currently in the Atlantic — there is a clear climate connection to this storm. Unusually warm waters in the Atlantic are causing this storm to maintain speed for much longer than what is typical.
Meanwhile, a tropical depression remains on course for Cuba and Florida, likely looking to strengthen to a Category-3 hurricane on Tuesday. For safety tips, read Currently’s Hurricane Explainer. Stay updated by following Currently’s coverage on Twitter and subscribing to Currently in the Atlantic.
