Overview
- Melissa is a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds south‑southeast of Kingston and could reach Category 5 before a likely close approach or landfall near Jamaica early Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
- Catastrophic rainfall, life‑threatening flooding and landslides are expected in Jamaica with serious threats extending to Haiti and eastern Cuba, where warnings and watches have been posted by local authorities.
- Even without a U.S. landfall, dangerous surf, life‑threatening rip currents and coastal erosion are expected along parts of the Southeast and East Coast early next week.
- A separate coastal low is being monitored for Wednesday–Thursday that could bring heavy rain, gusty onshore winds and coastal flooding to portions of the Mid‑Atlantic and New England, though track and timing remain uncertain.
- A cool, dry weekend continues for many U.S. areas with frost and freeze advisories in parts of central Pennsylvania and the Mid‑Atlantic, and some forecasts suggest rain may linger into Friday before Halloween conditions improve in the evening.