The National Hurricane Center is keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Melissa, which is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane.

According to the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. Tuesday advisory, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is in the Caribbean Sea, 55 miles south-southeast of Negril Jamaica and 265 miles southwest of Guantanamo Cuba. With maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, the hurricane is moving to the north-northeast at 7 mph.

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to undergo rapid intensification and grow into a powerful Category 4 hurricane by early next week.

Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and is forecast to become a major hurricane by early next week.

The National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. Thursday advisory reported that Tropical Storm Melissa is in the Caribbean Sea, 185 miles south-southeast of Kingston Jamaica and 295 miles southwest of Port Au Prince Haiti. With maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, the system is moving to the north-northwest at 2 mph.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three tropical waves: A far eastern Atlantic tropical wave is near 25W from the western Cabo Verde Islands southward, and moving west around 17 mph. Scattered moderate to isolated strong convection is found from 04N to 13N between 21W and 30W.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking a tropical wave in the central Atlantic which is moving quickly toward the Caribbean. There also is a non-tropical system over the northwestern Atlantic — well away from Florida — that may develop into a tropical or subtropical storm over the next several days, according to AccuWeather.

Hurricane Melissa is expected to crash into Jamaica with a strength reserved for a tiny percentage of Atlantic hurricanes. A hurricane reaching Category 4 or 5 strength is quite a feat in itself. The two categories combined make up about 17 percent of all hurricanes in recorded history.