SARASOTA, Fla. ( WWSB ) - Hurricane Melissa has moved back into the southwestern Atlantic after crossing Cuba earlier today. A NOAA Hurricane Hunter flight confirmed the storm is now just offshore, matching satellite and radar data.

Cuba’s mountains tore apart Melissa’s small inner core, and a larger one has formed, spreading strong winds farther outward—especially to the east. The storm has weakened, with top sustained winds near 100 mph and central pressure around 974 millibars. Another Air Force mission will collect more data later today.

Melissa is now moving northeast at about 14 mph and will continue in that direction as it’s pulled along by a large weather system over the southeastern U.S. The storm will pass over parts of the southeastern and central Bahamas in the next several

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