West Palm Beach, Fla (CBS12) — Tropical Storm Melissa, formerly invest 98L, has formed in the central Caribbean Sea. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and is moving to the west at 14 mph.
A Hurricane Watch has been issued for Haiti. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Jamaica.
Additional strengthening is possible as it slowly moves west and stalls over the next few days. Melissa could become a hurricane by the weekend. The Air Force Hurricane Hunters are scheduled to investigate the system later today.
Interests in Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Cuba should monitor the progress of this system as there is a risk of heavy rain and flooding, strong winds, and rough surf later this week…