Melissa Forecast to become a major hurricane this weekend, threatening Jamaica. Maps show their way.

Melissa is expected to strengthen from a tropical storm to a major hurricane this weekend, and could bring “life-threatening flooding” to Flatreating Flash Republic early next week, the Miami Hurricane Center said.

Melissa, the 13th Storm of the Sheatic Sonyaka, is not expected to have a Grandfather Implications for the United States in the United States. It could be the strongest lineup this season.

Melissa’s weather and direction

As of Saturday morning, Melissa’s core was about 160 kilometers southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 235 kilometers south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds were 70 mph, with hurricane-force winds reaching 115 miles from the storm’s center. It was moving north at just 1 mph.

It was forecast to be a storm on Saturday and a major storm – meaning a Section 3 or more – Sunday.

“It’s going to strengthen very quickly,” CBS News Weather Anchor Lonnie Quinn said Friday evening.

Jamaica, Haiti and Eastern Cuba should brace for “catastrophic rain, up to about 3 feet of rain,” Quinn said. “Mountainous Country – There will be Mudslides. I’m afraid that’s what we’re going to find when we enter the corresponding period next week in this part of the Caribbean.”

In addition, he warned, the storm could pack 140 mile per hour winds.

“Jamaica, I think, will take the worst of it,” Quinn said.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica. A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning are in effect for the western part of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince.

The storm is expected to drift slowly west of the country through the weekend, then turn north towards Jamaica on Monday or Tuesday. It will speed up Eastern Cuba, the Southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos by midweek.

Rain forecast

Melissa is expected to drop 25 centimeters on southern parts of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica on Tuesday, the agency said. Cuba in the southeast could see up to 12 inches of rain.

“Potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are possible across parts of Jamaica and the Southern Dominican Republic, while Flash Republic flooding is expected in southern Haiti,” forecasters said.

More heavy rain is likely to pass on Tuesday, the hurricane center said, but uncertainty remains with the extended weather.

Nikki Nolan and Rob Marciano contributed to this report.