Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – The southern coast of the Dominican Republic has been battered by relentless rain, powerful winds, and thunderstorms since the early hours of Thursday morning. These severe weather conditions are attributed to Tropical Storm Melissa, which is gradually advancing across the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued warnings, indicating that Melissa is likely to persist over the central Caribbean for several days, with the potential to escalate into a major hurricane by late this weekend or early next week. Residents of Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic are advised to remain vigilant and adhere to local weather advisories. The storm’s sluggish movement heightens the risk of extended periods of strong winds, particularly affecting Jamaica and Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula. Tropical-storm-force winds are anticipated to commence on Friday and intensify throughout the weekend. Additionally, the NHC has cautioned that Melissa is expected to unleash torrential rainfall across southern Hispaniola and Jamaica, significantly increasing the likelihood of severe flash flooding, river overflows, and landslides, especially in mountainous and vulnerable regions.