TAMPA, Fla. - Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope.

The hurricane had maximum sustained wind speeds of 185 miles per hour. As of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the wind speeds had lowered to 145 mph.

Hurricane warnings remain in effect for Jamaica, portions of eastern Cuba and the southeastern and central Bahamas.

FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg said the area of the island that will see the strongest winds is small, which is good news because it is a relatively small storm in size.

Osterberg said Hurricane Melissa is expected to dump 15–30 inches of rain on the island and create a 13-foot storm surge.

A turn to the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected later on Tuesday, followed by a faster northeast motion on Wednesday and Thursday.

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