Satellite view of Invest 98L 7 a.m. Oct. 21, 2025, shortly before it's expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Melissa.

Tropical Storm Melissa formed in the central Caribbean on Oct. 21, forecasters say, as it churns on a path that will likely keep it away from the mainland United States.

As of 11 a.m. ET, the center of Tropical Storm Melissa was located about 300 miles south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the National Hurricane Center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving to the west at 14 mph.

The storm is projected to approach the southwestern portion of Haiti and Jamaica later this week, potentially at hurricane strength.

Hurricane watch issued in Haiti

A hurricane watch has been issued for the southern peninsula of Haiti from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince.

For now, the primary threat from the storm will come from heavy rain, forecasters said.

"Melissa is expected to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of significant flash flooding and the danger of landslides to portions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the weekend," the hurricane center said.

"Melissa will bring heavy rainfall to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with totals of 5 to 10 inches expected through Friday Oct. 24," the hurricane center said. "Additional heavy rainfall is possible beyond Friday, but uncertainty regarding the track and forward speed of Melissa reduces confidence in exact amounts."

While Melissa will bring heavy rain and winds to Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, models suggest it won't impact the U.S., said WPLG-TV hurricane specialist Michael Lowry in a Substack post on Oct. 20.

Melissa is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. A typical year sees 14 storms.

Tropical Storm Melissa spaghetti models

Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

The 2025 hurricane season so far

The National Weather Service said in August that it expected up to 18 named storms during the hurricane season, which runs through November. Forecasters also anticipated three to five major hurricanes, with winds of 111 mph or greater.

So far, three major hurricanes formed since the beginning of the season: Erin, Gabrielle and Humberto. The only system to make landfall along the eastern U.S. coast was Tropical Storm Chantal in July.

The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is Sept. 10, with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center.

While activity typically diminishes in November, there still remains a threat of storms in the Atlantic and Gulf.

(This story was updated to add new information)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Melissa becomes 13th named storm of Atlantic hurricane season

Reporting by Christopher Cann and Doyle Rice, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect