Hurricane Melissa strengthens into a Category 1 storm in the Caribbean. Maps show its forecast path.

Melissa strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, and it’s forecasted to bring “life-threatening and catastrophic” flash flooding and landslides to Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic early next week, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center warns.

Hurricane Melissa, the 13th named storm of the Atlantic season, isn’t expected to have major impacts on the mainland United States, but it could be the strongest system this season.

Melissa’s forecast and path

As of the NHC’s 5 p.m. ET update on Saturday, Melissa’s core was about 130 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 250 miles west-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds were 90 mph, with tropical storm-force winds extending some 160 miles from the storm’s center. It was inching west at 3 mph.

Melissa became a hurricane by Saturday and was expected to become a major hurricane — meaning a Category 3 or higher — by Sunday. 

“It’s going to intensify very rapidly,” CBS News weather anchor Lonnie Quinn said Friday evening.

Jamaica, Haiti and eastern Cuba should brace for “catastrophic rainfall, up to nearly 3 feet of rain,” Quinn said. “Mountainous terrain — there’s going to be mudslides. I am fearful for what we will find by the time we get into next week for this portion of the Caribbean.”

On top of that, he warned, the storm could be packing 140 mile per hour winds.

“Jamaica, I think, is going to take the worst of it,” Quinn said.

The storm is expected to continue its slow drift northwest through the weekend, then turn north towards Jamaica on Monday or Tuesday. It will then accelerate towards eastern Cuba, the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos in the middle of the week.

Hurricane advisories

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica. A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning were in effect for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince.

Hurricane watches could be required for portions of eastern Cuba later Saturday, the hurricane center said.

The Naval Station Guantanamo Bay said it has been moving “non-mission-essential” U.S. citizens off the island in groups ahead of severe weather from Melissa. They will all be evacuated no later than Sunday morning, the station said on social media.

“Each individual will be allowed one 40-pound bag and a carry-on item,” the station’s Facebook post said. “Stand by for more directions on when your zone will be called to the Windjammer to get orders.”

Rainfall forecasts

Melissa is expected to drop up to 25 inches of rain on parts of southern Haiti, the southern Dominican Republic and Jamaica through Tuesday, with higher amounts possible in some areas, the hurricane center said. Southeast Cuba could see up to 12 inches of rain. 

“Potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are possible across portions of Jamaica and the southern Dominican Republic, while catastrophic flash flooding is anticipated in southern Haiti,” forecasters said. 

Additional heavy rainfall is likely beyond Tuesday, the hurricane center said, but uncertainty remains about the more extended forecast.