Melissa intensified into a major Category 3 hurricane late Saturday night as it began dumping torrential rain across the northern Caribbean, threatening “catastrophic flash flooding” in the region.
US weather forecasters warned that the storm would rapidly intensify on Sunday and make landfall in Jamaica early next week. It could intensify into a Category 4 hurricane by Tuesday before moving toward eastern Cuba on Wednesday.
“Life-threatening and catastrophic flooding and mudslides are expected across southern Hispaniola and parts of Jamaica early next week,” the US National Hurricane Center said Saturday evening.
In its latest update, the center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) — faster than the 100 mph (155 kph) previously reported.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, “Rapid intensification is expected to continue for the next 24–36 hours, and it is possible that Melissa could intensify even more than currently forecast during this time.”
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said earlier on Saturday, “I urge Jamaicans to take the threat of this weather seriously.” “Take all measures to protect yourself.”
Deadly Melissa killed at least four
Southern areas of Haiti and the Dominican Republic will also face torrential rains through Monday.
Melissa has already caused the deaths of three people in Haiti. Two people were killed in a landslide on Thursday and a third was killed when a tree fell on them amid heavy rains earlier in the week.
A fourth person has died in the neighboring Dominican Republic, where another person is missing.
Nearly 200 homes have been destroyed in the Dominican Republic, while water supply to more than half a million people has been disrupted.
Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Meteorologists are predicting an above normal season this year with 18 named storms.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez