Melissa on Track for Direct Hit to Jamaica as Storm Strengthens Toward Major Hurricane Status

Jamaica is bracing for a possible direct hit from Tropical Storm Melissa, which forecasters say is on the verge of becoming a hurricane and could rapidly strengthen into a major hurricane by Sunday. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a Hurricane Warning for the island, warning residents to complete final preparations as the storm’s center appears likely to pass over or extremely close to Jamaica this weekend. At 5:00 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), Melissa was located near latitude 16.3°N, longitude 75.0°W, about 165 miles (270 km) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 240 miles (385 km) southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The system is moving northwest at 3 mph (6 km/h) with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 986 millibars (29.12 inches). Forecasters warned of rapid intensification, with Melissa expected to reach hurricane strength later today and potentially major hurricane status by Sunday. The storm’s projected path shows Jamaica directly ...