ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Melissa continues to drift Thursday evening in the central Caribbean and remains on track to be a powerful hurricane by the weekend.
The 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center had winds of 45 mph.
Tropical Storm Warnings and Hurricane Watches continue for Jamaica and the southern sections of Haiti.
A Hurricane Warning is possible for Jamaica tonight or Friday.
Interests in the Dominican Republic and Cuba should continue to monitor future forecasts.
Melissa is on track to strengthen on Friday and become a hurricane on Saturday.
The forecast now has Melissa becoming a Category 4 major hurricane on Sunday.
Melissa is expected to slowly move northward Friday, then turn to the west over the weekend.
The storm will likely approach Jamaica and southern Haiti on Friday into the weekend.
Hurricane conditions are possible in Jamaica and the southern Haiti on late Friday into Saturday, with tropical storm force winds arriving in that region Friday.
The complex will be capable of producing 8-14 inches of rainfall in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica through Sunday. Isolated storm totals over 25 inches is possible.
Long-term, the system is anticipated to lift northeastward, but the exact track remains highly uncertain.
At this time, Melissa is anticipated to stay south and southeast of Florida.
Melissa formed on Tuesday morning and is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
Stay with Severe Weather Center 9 for the latest on the tropics.
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