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Tropical storm Melissa formed on Tuesday in the Caribbean Sea, a new system that will impact the weather conditions in the region over the next few days.
The phenomenon was organized after several days of monitoring a tropical wave active in the warm waters of the central Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on its official X account that it will begin advisories on Melissa starting at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (15:00 UTC).
The agency specified that the center of the system is located at a latitude of 14.3 north and a longitude of 71.7 west, approximately 480 kilometers south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Melissa has maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts, and a minimum central pressure of 1003 millibars.
It is moving west at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour, and models indicate that it could gain strength over the next 48 hours as it moves through the central Caribbean.
The NHC issued a hurricane watch for the southern peninsula of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. Additionally, the government of Jamaica declared a tropical storm watch for the entire island.
These warnings imply that hurricane or tropical storm conditions may be experienced within the next 48 hours.
Although Cuba is not in the direct path cone in the early hours, meteorological authorities recommend special attention in the eastern region of the country due to possible intense rainfall, storm surges, and gusts of wind that could occur if the system moves further north.
The projection cone includes areas near Jamaica and Haiti between Wednesday and Thursday, with the potential to reach hurricane strength before the weekend if atmospheric conditions remain favorable.
According to the long-term forecast, Cuba should pay close attention as it may face impacts.
In a previous report, the NHC had informed that a large area of low pressure organizing in the central Caribbean Sea was about to become a tropical storm with a high potential for impact on several Caribbean islands, including Cuba.
According to the bulletin issued at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), the tropical system classified as AL98 was expected to develop on Tuesday into Tropical Storm Melisa, the thirteenth of the current hurricane season.
According to weather models, Cuba is within the range of probable trajectories, which increases the likelihood of the country experiencing heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding in the coming days.
The forecasts from the Canadian model (GEPS) showed early this Tuesday several scenarios that include a possible direct impact on the island, with a minimum pressure estimated to be as low as 982 millibars, suggesting a strong tropical storm or even a hurricane.
Satellite, radar, and surface observations revealed that the system had a well-defined center, a key characteristic in the transition from a low-pressure area to a tropical storm.
Additionally, it was already producing sustained winds of up to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h), a level that exceeds the minimum threshold required for classification as a tropical storm (39 mph or 63 km/h).
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