Storm Melissa will continue with heavy showers, tomorrow Thursday could be a category 1 hurricane.

Santo Domingo. - According to the forecast offered by the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (INDOMET), Tropical Storm Melissa will continue today with heavy showers in provinces such as: La Altagracia, El Seibo, La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís, Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, Azua, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel, Sánchez Ramírez, Duarte, El Gran Santo Domingo, among others. They warned that for hours in the morning and afternoon, a fairly similar meteorological pattern will prevail, MELISSA will maintain cloudiness over the Dominican territory accompanied by moderate to heavy showers, electrical storms and wind gusts in towns in the provinces of: La Altagracia, La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, Peravia, Monte Plata, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel, Azua, Barahona, Pedernales, Independencia, Bahoruco, San Juan, Elías Piña, El Gran Santo Domingo, among others. However, for tomorrow, Thursday, MELISSA will continue to move slowly over the waters of the Caribbean Sea, southwest of the Dominican Republic, therefore, the weather conditions will continue to be quite favorable for the cloudy conditions to continue almost constantly throughout the country, generating heavy to torrential downpours, thunderstorms and wind gusts that could be especially intense and frequent towards the southwest and southeast of the nation at the end of the afternoon and at night. That is to say, about the provinces: La Altagracia, La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, Peravia, Monte Plata, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Espaillat, Hermanas Mirabal, Valverde, María Trinidad Sánchez, Santiago Rodríguez, Monte Cristi, Azua, Barahona, Pedernales, Independencia, Bahoruco, San Juan, Elías Piña, El Gran Santo Domingo, among others. Due to the rainfall and the forecast, the provinces remain under meteorological alert and warning levels due to the risk of urban and rural flooding, as well as rivers, streams, and ravines, mainly in vulnerable sectors, as shown in the following table: WEATHER WARNING AND ALERT LEVELS
DISCONTINUED WARNINGS ALERTS
Samaná La Vega San Cristóbal El Seibo
Santiago San Pedro de Macorís La Romana Monseñor Nouel
Independencia Santo Domingo and Distrito Nacional Peravia Sánchez Ramírez
Baoruco Pedernales Azua San José de Ocoa
San Juan Barahona Monte Plata
Elías Piña La Altagracia Hato Mayor

TOTAL: 6 TOTAL: 16 TOTAL: 0

Tropical Storm MELISSA, No. 13 of the current season, is located approximately 495 kilometers south/southwest of Port-au-Prince (Haiti). It is moving west/northwest at about 11 km/h and is expected to continue reducing its translational movement, followed by a gradual turn towards the northwest and north/northwest in the following days. It has maximum sustained winds of about 85 km/h with higher gusts and gradual strengthening is expected over the next few days. This system could become a Category I hurricane tomorrow, Thursday.

Maritime conditions: On the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, we recommend that operators of fragile, small, and medium-sized vessels remain in port, due to abnormal wind and waves, as well as heavy downpours and thunderstorms. In addition, on the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, bathers and users are advised to consult local authorities before using the beaches, due to possible rip currents and undertows. National District: cloudy with moderate to heavy showers at times with thunderstorms and wind gusts throughout the day and night. Santo Domingo Norte: cloudy with moderate to heavy showers at times with thunderstorms and wind gusts throughout the day and night. Santo Domingo Este: cloudy with moderate to heavy showers at times with thunderstorms and wind gusts throughout the day and night. Santo Domingo Oeste: cloudy with moderate to heavy showers at times with thunderstorms and wind gusts throughout the day and night. Temperatures: the minimum will be between 21 °C and 23 °C and the maximum between 31 °C and 32 °C. Summary: WEATHER WARNINGS and ALERTS remain in effect due to possible flooding from the effects associated with Tropical Storm MELISSA. Today, heavy showers, thunderstorms, and wind gusts will continue to occur in several provinces of our territory. All vessels must remain in port. During Friday, Tropical Storm Melissa is likely to continue strengthening southwest or west/southwest of our territory, over the Caribbean, with significant rainfall accumulations expected, produced by heavy showers that could occasionally become torrential, accompanied by thunderstorms and possible winds with tropical storm force, over a large part of the country, including Santo Domingo and the National District. We urge the population to stay informed with the official updates of our bulletins, as well as to strictly follow the instructions of the civil protection institutions.