ORLANDO, Fla. – As of the 5 a.m. National Hurricane Center update, Tropical Storm Melissa continues to show signs of better organization early Saturday morning. The system is moving slowly over the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, an environment that favors further strengthening.

Forecasters with the NHC now expect Melissa to become a hurricane by Saturday afternoon, with sustained winds reaching around 85 mph. The longer the storm’s center remains over the open, warm Caribbean, the greater the potential for rapid intensification. 5 A.M.

Forecast track and intensity

The latest forecast calls for Melissa to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall along the Jamaican coastline near Kingston early Tuesday morning. 5 A.M.

Its slow forward motion means the island co

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