Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Slow moving Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to gain hurricane status this week as it changes course and heads west. On Wednesday morning, meteorologists said Tropical Storm Melissa was centered SSW of Port Au Prince Haiti, moving WNW, a course they expect it to maintain in coming days.
Melissa is forecast to make hurricane status by Friday afternoon while it continues to trek through the Central Caribbean Sea. Some meteorologists are predicting storm strength as high as a category 3 hurricane for Melissa next week.
As a current tropical storm, the National Hurricane Centre says swells generated by Melissa are expected to spread to Hispaniola, Jamaica and eastern Cuba during the next couple of days, generating dangerous surf.
Melissa is expected to produce heavy rainfall across portions of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica through this weekend, bringing a risk of significant flash flooding and landslides.
Melissa is forecast to bring 5 to 10 inches of rain to southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic through Friday, with locally higher amounts possible. Across eastern Jamaica, 4 to 8 inches of rain are expected, also with locally higher amounts possible.
Additional heavy rainfall is possible beyond Friday, however, uncertainty in Melissa’s track and forward speed reduces confidence in exact totals. Significant flash flooding and landslides are possible.
At the moment, now-Tropical Storm Melissa has a forecast change in trajectory, taking a westly turn on Monday. If that trek holds, Melissa could end up entering the western Caribbean Sea, making it the second only to hit western Caribbean waters during the current Atlantic hurricane season. However, according to the Weather Channel, current wind shear across the Yucatan Peninsula makes it unlikely that Melissa will make it that far.
To date, 13 tropical storms have formed in the Atlantic with four becoming hurricanes, three of which, developed into major hurricanes.
