Tropical Storm Melissa is on track to threaten Haiti as a hurricane over the weekend, bringing heavy rains and life-threatening flooding to the island nation. Jamaica and Cuba also could feel the effects as the storm meanders slowly north in the Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Melissa began dumping heavy rain on Hispaniola on Tuesday as forecasters warned of a significant flood risk in parts of the Caribbean region later this week. The rains snarled traffic in the Dominican Republic’s capital,