TS Melissa could become major hurricane by weekend - Met Service

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica to maintain both a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch for the island as Tropical Storm Melissa is slowly strengthening as it drifts north-northwest across the Caribbean Sea.

At 1:00 p.m. Thursday, the storm's centre was located about 280 kilometres (175 miles) south-southeast of Morant Point or roughly 320 kilometres (200 miles) south-southeast of Kingston.

Melissa is moving very slowly at about 4 km/h (2 mph), but forecasters say the system is expected to intensify and could become a hurricane within the next couple of days, possibly reaching major hurricane strength by Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 75 km/h (45 mph), with higher gusts.

The Met Service says showers and thunderstorms are expected to begin affecting Jamaica tonight into Friday, bringing periods of heavy rainfall through the weekend that could cause flooding and landslides.

Strong gusty winds are expected to develop on Friday, first in eastern and southern parishes, before spreading across the island.

Marine interests, including fishers, are being urged to complete safety precautions immediately, as storm-force winds and rough seas are expected over southern and eastern offshore waters.

The Met Service says it continues to monitor Melissa closely and will provide further updates as conditions change.

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