“At 500 AM EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Melissa was located near latitude 16.3 North, longitude 75.0 West. Melissa is moving toward the northwest near 3 mph (6 km/h). A slow west-northwestward to westward motion is expected today through Sunday night. A turn to the north and northeast is forecast on Monday and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica during the weekend and early next week, and it could be near or over eastern Cuba by the middle of next week,” says a National Hurricane Center bulletin.
“Melissa’s slow movement will bring a multi-day period of damaging winds and heavy rainfall beginning tonight, likely causing catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides. There is risk of life-threatening storm surge early next week. All preparations should be completed today.”