Tropical storm Melissa forms in the Caribbean, could strengthen into a hurricane by weekend

Tropical storm Melissa has developed in the Caribbean Sea, marking an active end to this year’s Atlantic hurricane season. The system is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds across parts of the northern Caribbean in the coming days.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Melissa was located about 300 miles south of Haiti with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm is projected to strengthen and could reach hurricane status by Saturday.

A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of Haiti, while Jamaica is under a tropical storm watch. Forecasters warn that Melissa could dump more than a foot of rain on parts of Hispaniola, raising the risk of severe flooding and mudslides in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Puerto Rico and Jamaica could also experience bouts of heavy rainfall and flash flooding as the storm moves north.

Forecasters are tracking two main paths for the system. The most likely scenario suggests Melissa will linger over the Caribbean before turning north toward Hispaniola by the weekend, strengthening into a Category 1 hurricane. The other possible track could take the storm westward toward Central America early next week, potentially near Nicaragua or Honduras.

Melissa is the 13th named storm of the season and the first to form in the Caribbean. Meteorologists say unusually warm sea temperatures in the region have created ideal conditions for rapid storm intensification — a trend becoming more frequent in recent years.

Residents in the northern Caribbean are being urged to closely monitor updates as Melissa continues to strengthen over the coming days.