Melissa strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, and is forecast to cause “catastrophic and life-threatening” flash flooding and landslides in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic early next week, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center warns.

Hurricane Melissa, the 13th named storm of the Atlantic season, is not expected to have any major consequences. Impacts on the continental United Statesbut it could be the strongest system this season.

Melissa’s prognosis and path.

As of the NHC update at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Melissa’s core was about 145 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 235 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds were 75 mph, and tropical storm-force winds extended about 115 miles from the center of the storm. It was moving slowly west-northwest at just 1 mph.

It became a hurricane on Saturday and was expected to become a major hurricane, that is, aCategory 3or more, for Sunday.

“It’s going to escalate very quickly,” CBS News weather anchor Lonnie Quinn said Friday night.

Jamaica, Haiti and eastern Cuba should prepare for “catastrophic rainfall, up to almost 3 feet of rain,” Quinn said. “Mountainous terrain – there will be landslides. I am afraid of what we will find when we arrive next week in this part of the Caribbean.”

On top of that, he warned, the storm could have winds of 140 miles per hour.

“I think Jamaica will take the brunt of it,” Quinn said.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica. A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning were in effect for the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince.

The storm is expected to continue its slow drift toward the northwest over the weekend and then turn north toward Jamaica on Monday or Tuesday. It will then accelerate toward eastern Cuba, the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by midweek.

Precipitation forecasts

Melissa is expected to drop up to 25 inches of rain in parts of southern Haiti, southern Dominican Republic and Jamaica through Tuesday, with higher amounts possible in some areas, the hurricane center said. Southeastern Cuba could receive up to 12 inches of rain.

“Potentially catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are possible in parts of Jamaica and the southern Dominican Republic, while catastrophic flash flooding is forecast in southern Haiti,” forecasters said.

More heavy rain is likely after Tuesday, the hurricane center said, but uncertainty remains about the broader forecast.