Overview
- The National Hurricane Center says Melissa has sustained winds near 50 mph and was about 300 miles south of Haiti late Tuesday morning, moving west around 13–14 mph, and it is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic season.
- A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Haiti’s southern peninsula, including Port‑au‑Prince, and a Tropical Storm Watch is posted for Jamaica, with conditions possible beginning Thursday into Friday.
- Forecasters expect gradual strengthening and say Melissa could reach hurricane intensity by the weekend over exceptionally warm Caribbean waters.
- Heavy rain, flooding and dangerous mudslides are possible on Hispaniola, with hazardous weather also a risk for Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the ABC islands.
- Model guidance remains split, with scenarios showing either a turn toward Hispaniola and Cuba or a slower drift toward Central America, and direct U.S. impacts appear unlikely at this time.