Tropical Storm Melissa has formed in the Caribbean, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning.
Melissa, the 13th named storm in the Atlantic this year, is not expected to have major impacts on the mainland United States, but there is uncertainty on its path and intensity, the hurricane center said.
Here’s what to know about Tropical Storm Melissa.
Tropical Storm Melissa forecast and path
As of Tuesday morning, the storm was about 300 miles south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and moving west at about 14 mph, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph, the hurricane center said, with tropical storm force winds extending outwards up to 115 miles from the center of the storm.
A gradual turn to the north and northwest is expected in the coming days, the agency said. The storm is expected to decrease in speed and may linger over the Caribbean thanks to weakening steering currents.
A spaghetti model shows multiple options for Melissa’s longer path. Many versions of the model show the storm passing over Haiti, though it’s also possible Melissa travels over Cuba or turns toward Central America.
The storm may stall near Haiti and Jamaica as a Category 1 hurricane. A hurricane watch has been issued for the southern coast and Tiburon peninsula of Haiti, while a tropical storm watch has been issued for Jamaica, the hurricane center said.
The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of significant flash flooding to portions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with the danger of landslides, the hurricane center reported.
Preparations to “protect life and property” should be complete by Thursday, the agency said.
There is still “significant uncertainty in the track and intensity forecast” of the storm, the hurricane center said. More than half of computer models show the storm turning to the west, while many still show it heading north. If the storm turns west, it may impact the Gulf.
Hispaniola and Cuba should continue to monitor forecasts, the agency said.
Will Tropical Storm Melissa impact the U.S.?
Tropical Storm Melissa is currently unlikely to impact the mainland United States.
The spaghetti model for the storm does not show it approaching South Florida or the rest of the U.S. mainland as of now. The storm also looks unlikely to strongly impact the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
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