Atlantic Storms Like Melissa Are Moving at Increasingly Slower Speeds

Hurricane Melissa was a monster for several reasons. In addition to the sheer intensity of the record-breaking Category 5 storm, its slow speed also worked to amplify the impacts. Here is a look at how Melissa's slow speed contributed to the devastation, as well as a warning from climatologists that points to the slower overall trend of these tropical weather events.

Hurricane Melissa's Slow Speed Amplified its Impacts

Melissa was slow from the start, crawling along at a speed of just 2 mph when it first became a tropical storm in the Caribbean. This is slower than the average human's walking speed. The storm never did accelerate, making landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon, still inching along at a snail's pace.

Hurricanes tend to pick up the pace when they interact with another weather system. These driving factors include cold fronts or dips in the jet stream. Without these other weather elements, it is more likely that a storm will slow down and stall out. The slow movement also makes it more likely that a storm is able to grow and intensify, as was the case with Melissa.