Tropical Storm Melissa likely to intensify into hurricane, will it impact Florida? Check map, warnings here

The subject Hurricane centre predicts that tropic force Melissa will intensify into a hurricane on Thursday, October 23, and could impact Florida.

Melissa has the potential to develop into a powerful hurricane, according to forecasters. A hurricane that has sustained maximum winds of at least 111 mph and is at least a Category 3 storm is considered an intense hurricane.

Melissa formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday and was later strengthened into a tropical storm. Later this week, the storm's strong winds, flooding, and heavy rain could impact Haiti and Jamaica, as per forecasters.

The strong storm system is now heading west, increasing the likelihood of a damaging effect on the US. It is predicted to develop into a slow-moving hurricane that will release feet of rain and catastrophic winds. "The longer Melissa tracks to the west, the greater the chance of an impact on the US," stated Bernie Rayno, Chief Meteorologist at AccuWeather.

The major US cities that could potentially be under water by 2050 have been identified on a horror map, which highlights the impending catastrophic storms and rising sea levels.

The US National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch for regions of Haiti, while the Jamaican government has placed the country on tropical storm watch.

As of Tuesday evening, Melissa was stationed roughly 310 miles south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with highest sustained winds of 50 mph. The storm was heading westward at a speed of 15 mph.

Authorities have forecast that Haiti and the Dominican Republic might get between 5 to 10 inches of rainfall by Friday. Meanwhile, Aruba, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica are anticipated to receive between 1 to 3 inches of rain.

Prior to Melissa developing into a tropical storm, spaghetti models suggested that the system might follow several different routes. Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane analyst at AccuWeather, told Newsweek that the reason for the wide variation in the forecasts was that the steering flow was predicted to be light late this week.

A tropical storm Melissa might have an impact on the US, with the Florida Peninsula—particularly the lower part of the Peninsula and the Keys—being the main area of concern.

There is even a remote possibility that the storm will affect the East Coast or Florida, DaSilva said.

Taking to X, Meteorologist Noah Bergren sated: “For Florida, we watch without worry for now is how I would frame it, but I do not want to rule out major changes or anything definitively more yet. There are a handful of ensemble computer models that are close enough to be of some concern for more notable impact to south FL/the Keys/Bahamas early next week.”

Next week, strong westerly winds powered by the jet stream should hinder the storm from moving toward Texas, Louisiana, and the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida panhandles.

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