Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to intensify in the Caribbean in the coming days, potentially becoming a major hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Melissa is moving slowly north-northwest with sustained winds of 75 km/h and is forecast to strengthen gradually before more rapid intensification takes place over the weekend.

The NHC projects that Melissa will reach hurricane strength within a couple of days and could develop into a major hurricane, Category 3 or above, before the weekend ends.

Melissa’s tropical-storm wind field already extends about 185 km from its centre. The risk to Jamaica and southern Haiti is growing, with heavy rain, flash flooding and landslides expected in mountainous areas.

Long-range weather models suggest Melissa will track east across the Atlantic next week, with its remnants linking up with the Jet Stream and moving close to western Europe by October 31st. If the system, by then an ex-tropical cyclone, strengthens again into a named storm near Ireland and Britain, it would be called Bram, an apt name for Halloween, selected for Met Éireann’s 2025–26 storm naming list in partnership with the UK Met Office and KNMI. At present, however, there is little consensus amongst weather models for such an outcome.

This year’s Atlantic hurricane season has already produced three major hurricanes. Among them was Hurricane Erin, which rapidly intensified earlier in the season to Category 5 status, marking the first major hurricane of 2025.