Tropical Storm Melissa Stalls Over Caribbean, Unleashing Torrential Rains

On 2025-10-25T00:22:55+00:00, Tropical Storm Melissa has been lumbering over the warm waters of the western Caribbean, coming to a near standstill just southeast of Jamaica. The stalled storm has been dumping heavy rain over Haiti, where it has already killed at least three people.

Melissa is expected to continue drifting west slowly in the coming days, likely intensifying into a hurricane on Saturday. The storm is forecast to continue unleashing destructive winds and torrential rain over Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Cuba, bringing a high risk of life-threatening, catastrophic flash flooding and landslides.

Tropical cyclones typically move across the Caribbean at an average speed of 10 to 12 miles per hour, but on 2025-10-25T00:22:55+00:00, Melissa's speed was a mere 2 mph. Experts explain that the system is sandwiched between two separate areas of high pressure, causing the prevailing winds that typically push storms along to slacken. This stalling can lead to prolonged rainfall over a confined area, increasing the chances for hazardous flooding.

After its extraordinary rain dump over the weekend, the storm is expected to continue its westward march, likely starting to pick up some speed as it passes over or near Jamaica on Tuesday and Cuba on Wednesday. Taking a northeast turn, Melissa could then barrel over the Bahamas toward the end of next week.