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 wind
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