A slow-moving weather system, now designated as Tropical Storm Melissa, has put Caribbean islands under alert this week; bringing the danger of flooding, landslides, and strong winds to vulnerable coastal and mountainous regions.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm was centered late Wednesday night roughly 335 miles (535 km) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and about 295 miles (475 km) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.
At that time, it had sustained winds of approximately 50 mph (85 km/h) while moving very slowly west at about 2 mph (4 km/h).
Meteorologists are particularly concerned because Melissa’s slow pace, which means heavy rainfall could persist over the same areas for an extended duration.
Jamaica’s eastern region is forecast to receive up to 12 inches (300 mm) of rain. “Now that is significant rainfall, and that is the main thing that we should be mindful of at this time,” said Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service.
Read More: The Caribbean in Pictures
Similar rainfall amounts are expected for southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic through Saturday, with the possibility of even greater totals depending on Melissa’s eventual trajectory. Heavy rain is also forecast for western Jamaica, southern Hispaniola, Aruba, and Puerto Rico.
The NHC warns the storm could undergo gradual strengthening in the coming days, possibly escalating into a hurricane by Friday and becoming a major hurricane toward the end of the weekend.
Given that it is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, though notably the first to form in the Caribbean Sea this year, it underscores both the ongoing risk and the unusual weather patterns being observed this season.
Authorities across the region are urging residents in flood-prone and landslide-vulnerable zones to prepare now and seek higher ground, inspect drainage systems, secure loose objects, and keep emergency supplies ready.
The combination of heavy rainfall, mountainous terrain, and slow storm motion means the hazard is not just wind but water; overflowing rivers, flash floods, and muddy landslides.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
