Tropical Storm Melissa churns in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday morning. CSU-CIRA/RAMMB/NOAA

Tropical Storm Melissa has formed in the Caribbean Sea, proving this year’s Atlantic hurricane season won’t be wrapping up quietly.

The storm could slam the northern Caribbean with flooding rain and strong winds as it strengthens over extremely warm water this week. The risk of dangerous mudslides could also increase significantly for the Dominican Republic and Haiti if certain atmospheric factors align.

Melissa was churning about 300 miles south of Haiti with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of late Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to hit hurricane status by Saturday, according to the center, but it’s still tough to pin down exactly how s

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