ORLANDO, Fla. — Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a major hurricane and may reach Category 5 status before making landfall in Jamaica.
Melissa went through rapid intensification yesterday. This means that within a span of 24 hours, it went from a relatively strong tropical storm to a major hurricane.
It is also now starting to pick up a little bit of speed, moving between 5 and 10 mph.
It is still on track to make landfall in Jamaica late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
The historic rain they are experiencing on the island will continue, as another 15 to 20 inches are expected on top of what has already fallen. This means that when it’s all over, some areas could have received over 30 inches of rain.
All models agree on the storm’s path. It will turn toward Jamaica within the next 24 hours and then accelerate through Cuba and the Bahamas before moving out into the Atlantic.
During that time, it will also gradually weaken. It’s projected to remain a major hurricane when it hits Cuba. Afterward, it will weaken to a Category 2 hurricane before moving through the Bahamas.
There remains no threat to Central Florida.
We might notice some larger swells along our coast by the end of the week. However, they won’t be as big as those caused by previous storms.
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