Hurricane Harbor: Updated 11 AM 115 MPH Cat 3 Hurricane Major Melissa Rapid Intensification Still in Process Saturday Night! Headed for Jamaica. Sideswiping Haiti with Torrential Rains. After Jamaica ... Cuba, the Bahamas Then Away With the Front

Major Hurricane

Cat 3

EYE

Solid Core

Still doing RI as we watch in real time.

Scheduled for a direct hit on Jamaica.

@icyclone is there.... you know.

West at 3 MPH

Note NHC said in Discussion ...

...really "just South of West"

967 MB and dropping

115 MPH Winds and increasing.

Experimental Cone below

See...u can Zoom IN

Options are good.

Prayers for places in the way are good too!

From Discussion:

Rapid Intensification expected to continue ...

....thru next 24- 36 hours!!

It should hit Jamaica as a Cat 4 or 5

It should weaken some from the mountains.

But still expected Major Cane "nearing Cuba"

It will "accelerate" NE thru Bahamas.

Moving fast after Bahamas..

Forecast points with intensity.

Good discussion. I do so love good discussion from the NHC. Lots of info, there's a link at the bottom where you can click on it and read it yourselves if you'd like. I just listed some of my notes above. In truth we will have a better, clearer view of what will be tomorrow as it is STILL RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING!! I cannot state that enough as between here and the next 36 hours ...well we will see how strong it really is, what it looks like and all the little details that need to be nailed down to get the best forecast before landfall.

Strong bands of rain out ahead of it have already impacted Jamaica, and Haiti has been hit hard by distant bands even far away. At least 6 people have died so far so as a reporter (a job I've had in the past) it would be correct to label her as Deadly Major Hurricane Melissa! She has as old time hurricane forecasters would say "already drawn blood" (heard that from the source) so know the drama goes on and sadly it will be deadly and the good news is that there is warning in advance so that people can prepare and move to safer locations, board up their homes... know it's on it's way. Throughout time and history Jamaica has been hit with the most ferocoius hurricanes and there was no waning. If a ship didn't make it into port as expected, it may have changed course or gone down with a storm.

From Wikipedia