Tropical Storm Melissa has officially formed in the Caribbean and is expected to become a hurricane

MIAMI – Tropical Storm Melissa formed over the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea late Tuesday morning, National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters said, prompting the issuance of hurricane and tropical storm watches ahead of expected impacts.

Tropical Storm Melissa, originally rated Invest 98L, is expected to continue to strengthen and is expected to become a hurricane as it passes through the central Caribbean Sea over the next few days.

According to the NHC, Tropical Storm Melissa has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, and the storm is expected to strengthen into at least a Category 1 hurricane by the end of the week.

Tropical Storm Melissa is currently located about 300 miles south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and moving westward at 13 mph.

A decrease in forward speed and a gradual shift toward the northwest and north is expected over the next few days, the NHC said.

On this forecast track, Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to approach the southwestern part of Haiti and Jamaica later this week.

As a result, a hurricane warning was issued for parts of Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, and a tropical storm warning was also issued for Jamaica.

The National Hurricane Center said hurricane conditions are possible within the monitoring area in Haiti starting Thursday, and tropical storm conditions are possible in Jamaica by Thursday or Friday.

Meteorologists say there is an increased risk of flooding in parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic as Tropical Storm Melissa moves into the Caribbean Sea.

The National Hurricane Center said 5 to 8 inches of rain, with locally greater amounts, could fall in Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Friday. Additional heavy rainfall is also possible after Friday, but uncertainty about Tropical Storm Melissa’s track and forward speed reduces confidence in rainfall totals after Friday.

These heavy rains also raise fears of flash floods, mudslides and landslides in areas with high terrain.

In areas of Aruba, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, about 1-3 inches of rain could fall through Friday, and flash flooding and urban flooding are also possible there.

Waves from Tropical Storm Melissa will also spread to Hispaniola, Jamaica and the eastern tip of Cuba over the next few days, creating large waves and rip currents at local beaches.