Tropical Storm Melissa is set to intensify this weekend, and Jamaica and other Caribbean islands are bracing for harsh weather, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Thursday morning.

As the slow-moving storm meanders over the Caribbean Sea, heavy rains and life-threatening flooding are expected in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Hispaniola this weekend. Jamaica and the Tiburon peninsula of Haiti could also see a day or more of intense winds, according to NHC forecasters.

State Climatologist Jay Grymes said the latest hurricane model guidance shows that Melissa is not likely to threaten Louisiana or the Gulf Coast, but warned that the forecast for the Caribbean is serious.

"The latest track forecast is an ominous one for the Haitian peninsula and for

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