According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Tropical Storm Melissa developed late Tuesday morning over the record-high water temperatures of the Caribbean Sea, triggering Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches ahead of impacts that are expected.
Originally designated as Invest 98L, it’s expected that Tropical Storm Melissa will grow in strength and it’s forecast that the system will develop into a hurricane as it zigzags over the next several days in the central Caribbean, per the NHC. (RELATED: Atmospheric Rivers To Blast Pacific Northwest With Flooding Rain, Heavy Snow)
According to the NHC, Tropical Storm Melissa has 50 mph maximum sustained winds, and by the weekend, it’s expected that the system will form into at least a Category 1 hurricane.
The current location of Tropical Storm Melissa is around 300 miles from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, placed to the south of the city while it’s headed west moving at a speed of 13 mph, per the NHC.
11 am EDT – Tropical Storm #Melissa forms over the central Caribbean Sea. Here are the Key Messages. Visit https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/dEVB2i3i65
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 21, 2025
According to the NHC, Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to see its forward speed decrease and take a moderate curve northwest and north in the coming days.
On its current track, it’s expected that Melissa will near southwest Haiti and Jamaica as the week progresses, per the NHC.
Due to the forecast, areas of Haiti have been issued a Hurricane Watch, which includes Port-au-Prince. Jamaica has been issued a Tropical Storm Watch, according to the NHC.
Hurricane conditions could begin Thursday for Haiti’s watch area, while Jamaica could see tropical storm conditions starting Thursday or Friday, per the NHC.