Hurricane Fiona intensifies to a Category 4 storm

Hurricane Fiona has intensified to a Category 4 storm as it makes its way to Bermuda and Canada.

This follows the storm carving a destructive path through the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Here, wind gusts of up to 215 km per hour were recorded. The conditions triggered flash flooding and landslides.

So far, it has left at least eight people dead. Thousands of residents in affected areas have been left without access to basic services.

In Puerto Rico, 40 per cent of the island’s 3.3 million residents are still without power as rebuilding begins.

For many of these residents, the memory of Hurricane Maria back in just 2017 is still so real. 3,000 people died and the island was without power for a week following this storm.

Eric Blake is the acting branch chief for the NHC in Miami. He said Bermuda will see high surf, storm surges, heavy rainfall and powerful winds. This will be the case even if it keeps on its current path and passes to the west of the island.

It’s expected the storm will be at its worst by late Thursday.

“Hopefully, the core of the storm will stay west, but it could still jog east and hit Bermuda,” Blake said.

Fiona could reach Canada’s Atlantic coast by Friday.