Hurricane alert in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic due to the strengthening of tropical storm Fiona

Follow Fiona's progress across the Atlantic 0:44

(CNN Spanish)

-- Tropical storm Fiona will strengthen on its way to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic this weekend, and could become a hurricane as it approaches the last two, said the meteorologists.

Hurricane watches were issued for Puerto Rico and parts of the Dominican Republic on Saturday, as a way to warn of the possible development of a hurricane (with sustained winds of at least 120 kilometers per hour) sometime this weekend.

"Fiona could add near hurricane strength as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic this weekend," and could reach hurricane status before reaching the Dominican Republic on Monday morning, the Center said. Hurricanes (NHC for its acronym in English) on Saturday.

Fiona, which lashed Guadeloupe and other northeastern Caribbean islands with heavy rains and strong winds on Friday and early Saturday, is centered over the Caribbean about 145 miles (230 kilometers) southeast of St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands at 8 am (Miami time) on Saturday, the NHC said.

Tropical Storm Fiona forms in the Atlantic 0:45

In addition, it has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour, below the threshold of 120 kilometers per hour for a category 1 hurricane, although it is expected to strengthen as the weekend progresses.

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Fiona's epicenter is expected to move south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico through Saturday and Sunday, and approach the southern and eastern coast of the Dominican Republic on Sunday night and Monday, the center said. of hurricanes

Tropical storm conditions could reach the U.S. and British Virgin Islands on Saturday morning—including winds of at least 60 km/h—and reach Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon and evening, before reaching some areas of the Dominican Republic on Sunday, according to information from the hurricane center.

Fiona strengthened into a tropical storm over the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, before moving into the eastern Caribbean on Friday.

Concern about flash flooding and landslides

Heavy rain from Fiona could lead to flooding and mudslides this weekend.

"These rains are likely to produce flash and urban flooding, along with landslides in areas where the terrain is higher, particularly in southern and eastern Puerto Rico and eastern Dominican Republic," the hurricane center said.

Coastal flooding is also possible in other parts of Puerto Rico, as well as the US Virgin Islands, according to the hurricane center.

Here is the amount of rain expected in each location, according to the hurricane center:

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: 50 to 100 millimeters above what they have already received.

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from 100 to 150 millimeters, with isolated areas where a drop of about 250 millimeters is possible.

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127 to 250 millimeters, with possible isolated areas of 400 millimeters.

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: 100 to 200 millimeters, with isolated areas with a possibility of about 300 millimeters, particularly on the eastern coast.

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25 to 76 millimeters, with isolated maximum totals of 100 millimeters.

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100 to 250 millimeters.

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