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The Cuban Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) issued its first tropical cyclone warning on Tuesday regarding Tropical Storm Melissa, which formed in the central Caribbean Sea in the morning and could intensify in the coming days.
According to the official report, at eleven in the morning the center of the system was located at 14.3 degrees North latitude and 71.7 degrees West longitude, about 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 hectoPascals.
It is moving westward at about 22 kilometers per hour, emphasized the INSMET note.
Meteorologists anticipate that the system will slow down its movement as it gradually tilts its trajectory to the northwest.
Oceanic and atmospheric conditions will become more favorable for its intensification as it moves slowly over the central Caribbean Sea, south of the Greater Antilles.
Due to its possible trajectory and the time of year, INSMET is closely monitoring the development and movement of Tropical Storm Melissa and has urged the Cuban population to stay informed through the official reports that will be released in the coming hours.
The agency warned that, although Melissa does not pose an immediate threat to Cuba, its behavior could change if the system gains strength or alters its course.
Experts noted that these types of events can produce heavy rainfall and gusts of wind, so they recommend closely monitoring the reports from the Forecast Center.
The next tropical cyclone advisory regarding Melissa will be issued at six PM this Tuesday, when new details about its intensity and possible trajectory will be provided.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on Tuesday that the center of the Melissa system is located at latitude 14.3 North and longitude 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 strengthen over the next 48 hours as it progresses 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 could be experienced within the next 48 hours.
In a previous report, the NHC had indicated that a large area of low pressure was organizing in the central Caribbean Sea and was on the verge of becoming a tropical storm with a high potential for impact on several Caribbean islands, including Cuba.
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