It's still uncertain which way Melissa will track, and how quickly, but the storm is likely to bring colossal rains and life-threatening flooding to multiple islands in the Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Melissa is nearly stationary in the central Caribbean, with forecasters warning it could soon strengthen and brush past Jamaica as a powerful hurricane.

The prime minister ordered mandatory evacuations as officials braced for tens of thousands to be displaced. Three people were killed and 13 others injured during preparations for the storm, the health minister said.

According to a bulletin from the National Hurricane Center released Monday Oct. 20, "a tropical wave located over the eastern Caribbean Sea is producing a concentrated area of showers and thunderstorms. The system is moving westward at 15 to 20 mph toward the central Caribbean Sea and is expected to slow down over the next few days."

Tropical Storm Melissa is lumbering through the Caribbean Sea and bringing a risk of dangerous landslides and life-threatening flooding to Jamaica and southern Hispaniola.

Hurricane Melissa, the strongest tropical cyclone of 2025, disrupts Caribbean travel, closing airports and causing widespread flight cancellations.