Jamaica is staring down what could become a catastrophic, days-long assault of hurricane conditions as Melissa strengthens over some of the hottest ocean water on the planet. The storm’s outer bands are already brushing Jamaica and western Haiti,

Although Jamaica has been hit by many hurricanes, a storm stronger than Category 3 has never made landfall on the island.

Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to grow into a major Category 4 hurricane as it threatens Jamaica and then Cuba, but its effects on Florida remain uncertain, according to the National Hurricane

Melissa is expected to significantly strengthen by late Friday and over the weekend, when the storm could become a hurricane as early as Saturday.

Melissa is currently a slow-moving tropical storm that is expected to rapidly intensify to a major hurricane—a brutal combination will drench Jamaica and other Caribbean islands

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to bring days of heavy rain to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica and may trigger life-threatening flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center says.

Canada has issued a serious travel warning advising Canadians to avoid travelling to Jamaica due to safety issues.

A man was fatally wounded in a shooting Wednesday near a public housing development in Jamaica Plain, police said. Officers responded to reports of a shooting on Saint Rose Street shortly before 6 p.m., said Sergeant Detective John Boyle, a police department spokesperson.