North-eastern Caribbean urged to brace for T.S. Fiona

Countries in the north-eastern Caribbean are being urged to prepare for tropical storm conditions in the next few hours.

Fiona, the latest storm of the season, is expected to pass over or close to the Leeward Islands.

Meanwhile, Anguilla will receive a provisional pay-out of more than US$4million from a regional natural disasters insurance scheme - following the damage caused by Earl.

Earl blew the roofs off buildings and downed many power lines in Anguilla, according to a release from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, set up by 16 governments.

Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis, both also covered by the facility, were less severely impacted, the release said.

A final calculation of loss and payout to Anguilla will be made over the next two weeks.