Tropical Storm Melissa continues to churn over the north-central Atlantic Ocean, about 1,150 miles west of the Azores. Melissa began as a “subtropical storm,” a sort of hybrid between a tropical and mid-latitude storm system. Over time, it has developed a tighter core of convection (thunderstorms) close to its center, which led to Melissa taking on tropical characteristics late Wednesday morning despite being centered north of 35 degrees North latitude, about the same latitude as Charlotte, N.C.
Even so, an approaching cold front over the western Atlantic should catch up to Melissa by Thursday, heralding its inevitable transition to a post-tropical low.
Melissa is no direct threat to land, but its large wind field has generated large swells that will continue to affect Bermuda, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the northern Lesser Antilles over the next few days.
Source: The Weather Channel
