Melissa, Tropical Storm and Category 4 hurricane
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Tropical Storm Melissa is likely to undergo rapid intensification and grow into a powerful Category 4 hurricane.
Melissa is currently the only active tropical system in the Atlantic basin. As of Friday night, the storm remains nearly stationary, drifting north at just 2 mph. Maximum sustained winds are around 65 mph—just below the 75 mph threshold needed to reach Category 1 hurricane status.
Here's a look at where Tropical Storm Melissa is, where it's headed and the impacts it could have in Sarasota.
FOX 13 Tampa Bay on MSN
Tropical Storm Melissa strengthens as it takes aim at Jamaica, expected to become major hurricane
Tropical Storm Melissa strengthened Friday afternoon and is likely to become a major hurricane by the start of next week.
Dozens of people were already in shelters in the Dominican Republic, and schools, businesses and government agencies were closed.
At 5 a.m. Saturday, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Tropical Storm Melissa is in the Caribbean Sea, 180 miles southeast of Kingston Jamaica and 245 miles southwest of Port Au Prince Haiti. The system is moving northwest at 3 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.
Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to rapidly intensify over the weekend into a Category 4 hurricane, and could get even stronger. Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to rapidly intensify over the weekend into a Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.
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National Hurricane Center tracking Tropical Storm Melissa, tropical wave. What can Florida expect?
The National Hurricane Center is keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Melissa, which is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane.
According to the National Hurricane Center's 2 p.m. Saturday advisory, Tropical Storm Melissa is in the Caribbean Sea, 160 miles southeast of Kingston Jamaica and 235 miles southwest of Port Au Prince Haiti. The system is moving to the west-northwest at 1 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.
Now, as a weakened category 2 storm, there have been some impacts felt in the Bahamas, with Melissa tracking toward Bermuda on Thursday. Beyond that, as can be fairly typical, Melissa will weaken so that it will no longer be a hurricane or tropical storm as it moves into the North Atlantic.
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