Overview
- Tropical Storm Melissa is about 165 miles southeast of Kingston with sustained winds near 70 mph and a slow northwest drift, and tropical-storm-force winds extending roughly 115 miles from the center.
- Jamaica is under a hurricane warning, with hurricane watches for southern Haiti and parts of the Dominican Republic, and forecasters say Cuba could be added next.
- The National Hurricane Center expects rapid intensification to a major hurricane by Sunday, with the center moving near or over Jamaica early next week and approaching eastern Cuba by midweek.
- Forecasts call for 10 to 25 inches of rain in Jamaica and southern Hispaniola, with local maxima up to 35 inches on Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula, raising extreme risks of flash flooding and landslides; officials report at least three deaths in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic along with widespread infrastructure impacts.
- Jamaica has activated more than 650 shelters, hospitals are in emergency mode, and airport closures are expected within 24 hours of a hurricane warning, while U.S. forecasters see no direct mainland threat at this time but note lower-than-normal track confidence and potential for dangerous surf and rip currents.