Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean are staring down what could become a catastrophic, days-long assault of extreme rainfall and damaging winds with a strengthening Tropical Storm Melissa expected to become a major hurricane over some of the hottest ocean water on the planet.

Tropical Storm Melissa plodded through the central Caribbean early Friday, with forecasters warning it could soon strengthen and brush past Jamaica as a powerful hurricane while unleashing potentiall...

"The tropical cyclone is expected to grow in size, and likely be a large and dangerous hurricane towards the end of the forecast period," the National Hurricane Center said.