Tropical Storm Melissa is riding the brakes. It's a new, troubling tendency for Atlantic storms

[marmar]

(CNN) Tropical Storm Melissa is expected to meander the Caribbean at an agonizingly slow pace in the coming days, even as it’s forecast to strengthen into a hurricane, covering as little as 2 miles in an hour. This is slower than an average person’s walking speed.

Hurricanes are powerful storms, but they require a tug or pull from other weather systems, such as a cold front or a dip in the jet stream, to determine how fast they move and where they go.

When those influences are very weak or absent, however — as is the case with Melissa — a storm can meander for days, dumping torrential amounts of rainfall on anyone unlucky enough to be nearby.

Slow movement and weak upper-level winds can also help a storm like Melissa intensify into a major hurricane — Category 3 or stronger. Right now, the Caribbean Sea has some of the most unusually hot waters of any part of the Atlantic Ocean, and the storm could have the opportunity to tap into that energy. .......................(more)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/climate/atlantic-tropical-storm-melissa-movement