Guadeloupe placed on red alert for heavy rains and thunderstorms due to Cyclone Fiona

The first effects of Cyclone Fiona put Guadeloupe on red alert for heavy rain and thunderstorms just before 6pm on Friday, September 16 (midnight on Saturday, Paris time). Some roads are already flooded in the evening, especially in Basse-Terre, where the phenomenon is more frequent at night.

According to the latest report from Météo-France, The center of Cyclone Fiona was over Guadeloupe at 6pm, where gusty winds are expected “up to 120 kilometers per hour” At night, it can also create torrential rains “many floods”. Meteorologists have also put the island on orange alert “Strong Winds” and danger “Waves- Drowning”.

“All travel should be avoided (…), You should really stay at home.” for “Avoid taking risks”The prefect of Guadeloupe, Alexandre Rochat, insisted in local media on Friday evening.

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— Prefect971 (@Prefect of Guadeloupe)

Road to St. Louis, “Whose castle is already overflowing”6pm local time and the Route de la Traversie closes at 7pm. “Due to the risk of falling trees”In announced the prefecture A statement Published late Friday afternoon. “Air traffic will be suspended from 7pm tonight until 12pm tomorrow, Saturday.” And will only resume depending on weather conditions, the statement added.

Heritage Days postponed

Cyclone Fiona was initially expected to hit the Guadeloupe archipelago. “Sent a little further south than expected”This has put Martinique on orange alert, according to Météo-France “Heavy rain and thunder”.

All schools in Guadeloupe were closed at noon local time, and many residents were tidying up terraces, busy removing potential projectiles that could have caused wind-blown damage.

In the island’s supermarkets, queues at the checkout were long on Friday morning. Essentially, users have stocked up on water packs to compensate for the cuts that often occur in inclement weather.

All weekend activities such as sporting events or heritage days were canceled due to the arrival of the storm. Heritage Days may be postponed “at a later date”The prefecture said in a press release Friday morning.

Fiona, according to Meteo-France “Formed in mid-Atlantic on September 15” And “This is the sixth tropical system of the season in the Atlantic basin”. September 16 is also the anniversary of the Category 5 Hurricane Hugo that devastated the island in 1989.