Video Shows Inside Look Of Invest 98L, Potential Melissa As It Develops In Caribbean

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), a tropical depression could develop this week in the Caribbean.

A tropical system, designated by the NHC as Invest 98L, is currently over the eastern Caribbean Sea, and generating disorganized thunderstorms and rain showers. The location is in the same spot that a number of long-range models have been predicting for development, according to WESH. (RELATED: Atmospheric Rivers To Blast Pacific Northwest With Flooding Rain, Heavy Snow)

Invest 98L has maximum sustained winds of 30-40 mph, per the NHC.

10/20 8pm EDT: The tropical wave over the #CaribbeanSea has a 90% chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm within 48 hours. While there is significant uncertainty in the eventual track & intensity of the system, interests in Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Cuba… pic.twitter.com/8HYq4mP3n0

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 20, 2025

Conditions in the environment appear to be partly favorable for development at a slow pace in the next two days as the tropical wave heads west at 20-25 mph.

According to the NHC, it’s expected that a tropical depression will develop by midweek.

Aníbal Nieves, a native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, posted on social media an inside look of Invest 98L as it develops in the Caribbean. In the clip, which you can see here, the northern periphery of the storm was over the U.S. territory and dropping rainfall that’s been strongly associated with the system.

Invest 98L generating beautiful convection, having hard time sustaining it and there isn’t any closed circulation. I still expect Melissa.

Like I pointed out earlier, strength depends on location. Goes north, it will be a TS/low-tier C1. Goes west, we’re looking at a monster. pic.twitter.com/dfNpsQKlhU

— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPow3ll) October 21, 2025

Whether the system develops or not, the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) could see heavy rain and strong wind gusts as it moves across the region over the coming days, per the NHC.

Residents in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba and Hispaniola should monitor the latest developments of Invest 98L as it could produce heavy rainfall and flooding threats.

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30.