Tropical Storm Melissa is lumbering through the Caribbean Sea and bringing a risk of dangerous landslides and life-threatening flooding to Jamaica and southern Hispaniola.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned of "life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides" throughout Hispaniola.

Tropical Storm Melissa is effectively parked in the central Caribbean, dumping devastating amounts of rain on Haiti and Jamaica that has already claimed at least three lives and destroyed one bridge. And more rain is on the way.

An intensifying Melissa will bring destructive flooding to Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic before tracking toward Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas next week.

Storm is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane and bring life-threatening rainfall, landslides and storm surge to Jamaica, Haiti and elsewhere. The risk to Florida remains.