Hurricane Melissa Strengthens to Category 4, Approaches Cuba and Bahamas

Hurricane Melissa's Current Status and Path

• 🌀 Hurricane Melissa has re-strengthened to a Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph.
• 📍 The center of the hurricane is located 110 miles southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, and is moving northeast at 9 mph.
• 🎯 Landfall in eastern Cuba is forecast overnight into early tomorrow as a Category 4 storm, weakening to a Category 3 over land.

Impact on Cuba and Bahamas

• ⚠️ Eastern Cuba is under a hurricane warning, with tropical storm winds already spreading.
• 🌧️ Eastern Cuba can expect 10 to 20 inches of rain, with higher elevations potentially receiving up to 25 inches.
• 🌊 A storm surge of 8 to 12 feet is forecast for the south coast of eastern Cuba.
• 🏝️ The central and southeast Bahamas are under a hurricane warning, with tropical storm warnings for the Turks and Caicos.
• 📊 Forecast rainfall for the southeastern Bahamas is 5 to 10 inches, and 1 to 3 inches for the Turks and Caicos.
• 📈 Storm surge for the central and southeast Bahamas and portions of the Turks and Caicos is expected to be 2 to 4 feet.

Future Projections

• 💨 After impacting Cuba, Melissa is expected to head towards the southeast Bahamas as a Category 3, then weaken to a Category 2.
• ✈️ By Thursday evening, the hurricane is projected to approach Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane.
• 🌊 Bermuda remains under a hurricane watch, with the storm expected to weaken considerably over the North Atlantic after passing Bermuda.