MIAMI, Florida – Tropical Storm Franklin on Tuesday brought heavy rain and winds over Hispaniola and Puerto Rico toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

According to the NHC’s 2:00 p.m. bulletin this Tuesday, the storm was located 230 miles south-southwest of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving toward the northwest at 7 mph.

Franklin’s center is expected to make landfall somewhere in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and strengthen a bit more as it moves across the Atlantic.

Current notifications, watches and alerts

A tropical storm warning is in effect:

• The Dominican Republic is the entire southern coast east of the border with Haiti
  Towards Cape Engano
• The Dominican Republic is the entire north coast east of the border with Haiti
  Towards Cape Engano
• Haiti along the entire south coast from Anse d’Hainault eastwards
  border with the Dominican Republic

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect:

According to the NHC, Franklin will get 2 to 4 inches of rain, some as much as 6 inches, in Puerto Rico; 5 to 10 inches, with 15 inches isolated in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

This is how hurricane season goes in the Atlantic

The current Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 and ends on November 30. Hurricanes are predicted to average out to at least 12 named storms, five to nine of which will become hurricanes, and at least one likely to become a major hurricane.

Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the 2023 season, formed in early June. It disappeared two days later and never reached shore.

Tropical Storm Brett, the second of the season, formed on June 22, bringing heavy rain to the Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Emily formed over the Atlantic on Sunday, August 20, but soon became a remnant.

In 2022, there were 14 named storms in the Atlantic, nine of which reached hurricane status, including the devastating Ian.

Heavy rain is possible in Puerto Rico.