Melissa’s intensity forecast keeps increasing as it crawls through the Caribbean and threatens catastrophic flooding

(CNN) — Tropical Storm Melissa is barely moving through the Caribbean, and that’s exactly what makes it so dangerous. The longer it lingers, the more rain it dumps and the more likely it is to rapidly intensify into a monster storm.

Intensity forecasts have ramped up considerably in the past few days. A worst-case scenario for some Caribbean islands is increasingly likely with Melissa set to reach at least Category 4 hurricane strength next week, fueled by extremely warm water.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Jamaica with Melissa’s outermost winds expected to reach there in the next day or so. Hurricane watches are in effect for Jamaica and parts of Haiti, meaning hurricane-force winds are possible by the weekend. Haiti, Jamaica and parts of the Dominican Republic face days