"Due to Melissa’s slow motion, the risk of a prolonged multi-day period of potentially damaging winds, heavy rainfall resulting in life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides, and coastal flooding continues to increase for Jamaica," the hurricane center said.

AccuWeather said in a post on X, Thursday: “Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to rapidly strengthen to a major hurricane over the Caribbean and could end up being one of the strongest of the season with lives and property in peril from Jamaica to Cuba and Haiti.”

The slow-moving storm was expected to drop torrential rain, up to 25 inches, on Jamaica. A similar forecast was issued for the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

When Melissa departs the Caribbean later next week, it may contribute to stormy conditions along much of the United States East Coast with a new round of rough surf and beach erosion in some areas.