The Tribune

‘MELISSA’ has now become a tropical storm as it moves rapidly over the north Atlantic.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds yesterday were near 60mph with little change in strength expected today.

It was expected to begin losing tropical characteristics after that.

Melissa was yesterday centred about 1,115 miles west of the Azores and was moving east-northeast near 30mph.

The US National Hurricane Center said large swells from the storm would likely continue affecting parts of the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the southeastern Bahamas.

The system will slowly spin over the open waters of the Atlantic over the next several days and will cause rough seas for shipping interests.

Brian Lada, meteorologist at AccuWeather, said: “Melissa will not pose any direct threat to land in the western Atlantic as it drifts northward.

However, it will produce rough surf around Bermuda and the northeastward facing beaches of the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and the Islands of the Caribbean this week.”