Tracking The Tropics: Tropical Storm Fred Has Formed
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Tropical Storm Fred has formed. It's spreading heavy rains and gusty winds across Puerto Rico.
As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Fred was 45 miles south-southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Fred is moving toward the west near 17 mph and this general motion is expected to continue Tuesday night.
A turn back toward the west-northwest is forecast to occur early Wednesday, with a west-northwestward motion continuing during the next few days.
On the forecast track, Fred is expected to pass near the southern coast of Puerto Rico Tuesday night and early Wednesday, be near or over Hispaniola on Wednesday, and be near the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts.
Slight strengthening is forecast overnight before Fred reaches eastern Dominican Republic Wednesday morning. Some weakening is likely while the system interacts with Hispaniola on Wednesday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.
A wind gust to 41 mph was recently measured by a Weatherflow observing site in Las Mareas along the south-central coast of Puerto Rico.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- Puerto Rico, including Culebra and Vieques
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- 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:
- Dominican Republic on the north coast from Cabo Frances Viejo to the Dominican Republic/Haiti border.
- Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Gonaives
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Southeastern Bahamas
Fred is the sixth named storm in the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.
