TAMPA, Fla. - Tropical Storm Melissa is slowly swirling in the Caribbean and is expected to intensify into a hurricane as it moves over warm waters.

As of Wednesday morning, it was located at 14.3°N 73.5°W, which is about 300 miles to the south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

It was moving west-northwest at seven miles per hour and had maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour.

Hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect for portions of the Caribbean and Melissa is expected to bring flooding rains to Hispaniola and Jamaica.

The National Hurricane Center said that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area in Haiti starting later Thursday, and tropical storm conditions are possible in Jamaica by Thursday or Friday.

FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber says it w

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