What’s next for Hurricane Melissa?
The National Hurricane Center said at 2 p.m. ET that the storm’s winds have dropped to 270 km/h, which is expected after a hurricane moves across land. But it’s still a dangerous Category 5 storm.
“Catastrophic hurricane-force winds are spreading over Jamaica within the eye wall of Melissa,” they wrote.
“Total structural failure is likely near the path of Melissa, especially in higher elevation areas where wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains could be up to 30 per cent stronger.”
They also said that Melissa is expected to turn to the northeast, with an increase in forward speed, and then will gain even faster motion on Wednesday and Thursday.
The storm is expected to cross western Jamaica over the next few hours and then move back over water in the Caribbean Sea. The storm centre is then forecast to cross southeastern Cuba and then southeastern or central Bahamas on Wednesday.
Its forecast cone — the path the hurricane may follow — takes it into the Atlantic Ocean and then east of Newfoundland by late Friday into Saturday.