Tropical Storm Melissa now a hurricane

Tropical Storm Melissa has strengthened into a hurricane and is expected to become a major hurricane by the end of the weekend, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.



Hurricane Melissa is located about 380 km southwest of Port-au-Prince in Haiti, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h



A hurricane warning is in place for Jamaica, and the NHC said life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are expected in portions of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica into early next week.



The center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica during the weekend and early next week, adding that it could be near or over eastern Cuba by the middle of next week.



A hurricane watch is in effect for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from Port-au-Prince to the border with the Dominican Republic