At 2 p.m., Melissa was located about 145 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, moving west-northwest at 1 mph. Maximum sustained winds are at 75 mph, with gusts higher, and rapid intensification is expected soon.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125miles (205 km).
A slow WNW to west movement is expected on Saturday through Sunday night, with a turn to the NNE forecast on Monday and Tuesday.
On the track, the center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica during the weekend and early next week.
A hurricane warning is currently in effect for Jamaica, where hurricane conditions are expected beginning Sunday. Tropical storm conditions are already anticipated later today.
The southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince, is under a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning. Hurricane conditions are possible there later this weekend.
Melissa is forecast to bring extremely heavy rainfall to portions of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica through Tuesday, with totals of 15 to 25 inches expected. Some areas, especially the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti, could see up to 35 inches of rain.
This intense rainfall raises the risk of life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in southern Haiti, Jamaica, and parts of the southern Dominican Republic.
Eastern Cuba may also experience heavy rains, with 4 to 8 inches expected and localized amounts up to 12 inches possible through Tuesday.