Tropical Storm Melissa lingers over the Caribbean

Santo Domingo.- Rain, strong winds, and thunderstorms have affected the southern coast of the Dominican Republic since early this Thursday morning as Tropical Storm Melissa continues to move slowly across the Caribbean Sea.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa is expected to linger over the central Caribbean for several days and could strengthen into a major hurricane by late this weekend or early next week. The agency urged residents of Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic to closely monitor the storm’s progress and heed local weather advisories.

Due to its slow movement, the risk of prolonged strong winds is increasing, particularly for Jamaica and Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula, where tropical-storm-force winds may begin Friday and intensify through the weekend. The NHC also warned that Melissa is likely to produce heavy rainfall across southern Hispaniola and Jamaica, heightening the threat of severe flash flooding, river overflows, and landslides in vulnerable and mountainous areas.