The hot ocean temperatures and dry air are primed for a potentially explosive hurricane to erupt, with some severe weather impacts possible for Florida.

Warm Caribbean waters should fuel Melissa into a Category 4 hurricane or higher in the coming days. Though odds are low for the U.S., forecasters say South Florida should keep an eye on the

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 barely moving through the Caribbean, and that’s exactly what makes it so dangerous. The longer it lingers, the more rain it dumps. Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic could face days of relentless downpours and mudslides.