Already deadly as a tropical storm, Melissa rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane late Saturday night, officially upgrading the system to major status to ratchet up forecasts for Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, with each nation potentially suffering life-threatening impacts. according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Over the next few days, Melissa is forecasted to continue rapid intensification into a massive Category 5 hurricane, per the NHC.