Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as Tropical Storm Fiona heads toward the Caribbean.
Fiona was situated about 75 miles east of Guadeloupe as of 5 p.m. Friday. The storm is currently heading west at 14 mph and has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
While just a tropical storm now, the NHC is predicting that it will strengthen into a hurricane next week.
The storm is expected to move just south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend, and make landfall on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic on Sunday night and early Monday.
According to the NHC, rain is expected to be one of the biggest problems with the storm. Four to eight inches of rain are forecast for Puerto Rico with up to 12 inches possible across eastern and southern Puerto Rico.
The eastern part of the Dominican Republic is forecast to received 6 to 10 inches of rain, with up to 16 inches possible in some areas.
"These rains may produce flash and urban flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain, particularly southern and eastern Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic," the NHC said. "Localized coastal flooding is also possible elsewhere in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands."
It's not yet clear whether the storm will impact Florida or the mainland United States.