Hurricane Fiona is a Category 4 storm and strengthening; Bermuda under warnings and watches

Bermuda on Wednesday was under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning as it braced for the arrival of Hurricane Fiona, now a major Category 4 storm.

Fiona, the first major hurricane in the Atlantic this season and only the third Atlantic hurricane overall in 2022, was about 615 miles southwest of Bermuda as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, moving north at 9 mph.

Its maximum sustained winds had reached 130 mph.

The center of Fiona will approach Bermuda late Thursday and early Friday, before heading out into the open Atlantic Ocean.

[ RELATED: Tropical system heading toward Caribbean is likely to become hurricane, with Florida in its long-term path ]

The storm is expected to strengthen in the next day or so, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 195 miles.

Forecasters said hurricane and tropical storm conditions were possible in Bermuda by late Thursday. Fiona’s maximum sustained wind speeds are expected to reach 140 mph by Thursday morning, the latest advisory said.

In addition to Hurricane Fiona, forecasters are monitoring a system in the Atlantic that may become a hurricane with Florida in its long-term path.

The system could become Tropical Storm Hermine.

Currently, the system is heading for the central Caribbean and is likely to develop into a tropical depression in the next few days, the center’s latest advisory said, as it moves west-northwest at 15 to 20 mph. Long-term models show the system turning towards Cuba and then passing through Florida.

Tropical Storm Gaston also maintained its strength in the central Atlantic on Wednesday.

[ STAY UPDATED with the latest forecast for tropical weather at SunSentinel.com/hurricane ]

At the moment, it poses no threat to land. It is likely to be torn apart by storm-shredding upper-level winds later this week.

Forecasters are also monitoring two other systems. A tropical wave located off Africa’s west coast has low chances of developing.

A yet-to-emerge-wave over Africa has been given a 50% chance of developing in the next five days, the National Hurricane Center said.

Fiona has caused at least four deaths, according to the Associated Press:

A 58-year-old man in Puerto Rico died after police said he was swept away by a river in the central mountain town of Comerio. Another man in Puerto Rico was burned to death when he attempted to refuel a generator while it was running.

In the Dominican Republic, authorities reported one death: a man hit by a falling tree. And a man in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe died when his home was swept away by a flood.

The beaches along the U.S. East Coast could see high surf, minor beach erosion, and minor coastal flooding as Fiona passes thru and heads north to Canada, according to AccuWeather.

The 2020 hurricane season set a record with 30 named systems, while 2021′s season was the third-most active with 21 named systems. An average year calls for 14 named storms.

Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.