EXTREMELY POWERFUL MAJOR HURRICANE MELISSA AIMS FOR DIRECT HIT LANDFALL in #JAMAICA

EXTREMELT POWERFUL MAJOR #HURRICANE #MELISSA RESUMES INTENSIFYING... AS IT AIMS FOR A #DIRECTHIT #LANDFALL
...LIFE-THREATENING AND CATASTROPHIC FLASH #FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES
EXPECTED IN PORTIONS OF #JAMAICA AND SOUTHERN #HISPANIOLA THROUGH
MIDWEEK WITH #HURRICANEMELISSA FORCE WINDS LIKELY TO BEGIN TOMORROW...
#HURRICANE #MELISSA #JAMAICA #FLOOD #WEATHERTOK

SUMMARY OF 500 PM
LOCATION...16.4N 77.2W
ABOUT 115 MI...185 KM SSW OF KINGSTON JAMAICA
ABOUT 295 MI...470 KM SSW OF GUANTANAMO CUBA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH...230 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 270 DEGREES AT 5 MPH...7 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...941 MB...27.79 INCHES:

The government of #Cuba has issued a Hurricane Warning for the Cuban
provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Holguin. The
government of Cuba has also issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the Cuban province of Las Tunas.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Jamaica
* Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de #Cuba #Guantanamo and
Holguin. #weather

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* Southwestern peninsula of Haiti from the border with the
Dominican Republic to Port-Au-Prince

A Tropical Storm Warning in effect for...
* Southwestern peninsula of Haiti from the border with the
Dominican Republic to Port-Au-Prince
* Cuban province of Las Tunas

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area. A warning is typically issued
36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of
tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside
preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life
and property should be complete.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

Interests elsewhere in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the
southeastern and central Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands,
and Bermuda should monitor the progress of Melissa. Additional
watches and warnings could be required later tonight or tomorrow.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor
products issued by your national meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Melissa was
located by Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft near latitude 16.4 North, longitude 77.2 West. Melissa is moving toward the west near 5 mph (7 km/h). A slow westward motion is expected tonight, followed by a turn to the north and northeast on Monday and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica on Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 145 mph (230 km/h) with higher gusts. Melissa is a category 4 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional intensification is forecast over the next day or so, followed by fluctuations in
intensity. Melissa is expected to be a powerful major hurricane when making landfall in Jamaica Monday night or Tuesday morning and
southeastern Cuba late Tuesday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles
(335 km).

The minimum central pressure estimated by aircraft dropsonde data is
941 mb (27.79 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
Key messages for Melissa can be found in the Tropical Cyclone
Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3 and WMO header WTNT43 KNHC.