Jamaica is now under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch as Tropical Storm Melissa continues its slow movement across the Caribbean Sea, positioned to the south-southwest of Hispaniola.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica states that the alerts indicate that tropical storm conditions could affect the island within 36 hours, while hurricane conditions may develop within 48 hours.
As of 4:00 a.m., the centre of Tropical Storm Melissa was located approximately 353 kilometres south-southeast of Morant Point or about 390 kilometres south-southeast of Kingston. The storm is currently drifting westward at around 6 kilometres per hour.
Forecasters expect Melissa to maintain a slow forward motion, gradually turning northwest to north-northwest over the next couple of days before shifting westward again. On this track, the system is projected to approach Jamaica before turning west on Saturday, moving over the waters just south of the island.
As the storm approaches, showers and thunderstorms are expected to intensify across Jamaica from late Thursday afternoon, with periods of moderate to heavy rainfall continuing through Friday and into the weekend.
Strong gusty winds, potentially reaching tropical storm strength, are forecast to develop across the eastern and southern parishes on Thursday night into Friday, spreading across the island thereafter.
Forecasters warn that hurricane-force winds could impact sections of eastern Jamaica as early as Saturday, depending on the storm’s development and proximity to the island.
Residents are urged to closely monitor updates, secure property, and prepare emergency supplies as the system moves closer.
