KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm with winds in excess of 160 miles per hour, is inching towards Jamaica on Monday and is expected to move near or over the Caribbean island on Tuesday.
The latest bulletin from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that at 8:00 a.m. the distinct eye of Hurricane Melissa was located near latitude 16.4 North, longitude 78.0 West.
Melissa is moving toward the west near 3 mph (6 km/h).
A slow turn toward the northwest and north is expected today and tonight, followed by a northeastward acceleration beginning on Tuesday and continuing through at least Thursday.
On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.
Reports from NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft
indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 160 mph (260 km/h)
with higher gusts.
Melissa is a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Some additional strengthening is forecast today, with fluctuations in intensity likely before Melissa makes landfall on Jamaica early Tuesday.
Melissa is expected to reach Jamaica and southeastern Cuba as a powerful major hurricane, and will still be at hurricane strength when it moves across the southeastern Bahamas.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles (315 km).
The minimum central pressure from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft data is 913 mb (26.96 inches).