All Eyes on the Tropics and if Melissa Will Impact the U.S.

After days of speculation, Tropical Storm Melissa did indeed form in the Caribbean on Tuesday morning. Here is the latest on the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, including where it may be headed next.

Latest Details on Tropical Storm Melissa

According to the late Tuesday update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Tropical Storm Melissa is packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The storm is moving to the west at a speed of 13 mph as it spins about 300 miles south of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Forecasters had been warning for days that it was likely that this disturbance would acquire formal tropical characteristics. The storm started as a tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa last week.

While hurricane watchers had been relatively certain that the feature would evolve into the next named storm, its likely path has been more uncertain over the past few days. At this time, the forecast models show a low chance that Melissa will make a direct impact on the U.S. However, it is still too early to rule out the possibility that South Florida and the Keys could sustain some of Melissa's wrath.