Hurricane Melissa, which has developed right into a Class 4 hurricane, strikes westward within the Caribbean Sea in the direction of Jamaica in a composite satellite tv for pc picture obtained by Reuters on Oct. 26, 2025.
Cira/noaa | By way of Reuters
Hurricane Melissa intensified to Class 5 energy Monday because it neared Jamaica with as much as 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain and a life-threatening storm surge.
Melissa is forecast to make landfall on the island Tuesday and cross Cuba and the Bahamas via Wednesday.
Melissa was centered about 130 miles (205 kilometers) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 315 miles (505 kilometers) south-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, the U.S. Nationwide Hurricane Heart in Miami mentioned.
The hurricane had most sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) and was shifting west at 3 mph (6 kph), the middle mentioned.
Class 5 is the best on the Saffir-Simpson scale with sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (250 kph). Melissa is the strongest hurricane in current historical past to immediately hit the small Caribbean nation.
Some native areas of japanese Jamaica may get 40 inches (1 meter) of rain whereas western Haiti may get 16 inches (40 centimeters), in line with the hurricane middle. “Catastrophic flash flooding and quite a few landslides are seemingly,” it warned.
The slow-moving storm has killed at the very least three folks in Haiti and a fourth particular person within the Dominican Republic, the place one other particular person stays lacking.
“I wish to urge Jamaicans to take this severely,” mentioned Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Catastrophe Threat Administration Council. “Don’t gamble with Melissa. It isn’t a protected guess.”
The hurricane was anticipated to make one other landfall later Tuesday in japanese Cuba. A hurricane warning was in impact for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, whereas a tropical storm warning was in impact for Las Tunas. As much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain have been forecast for components of Cuba, together with a major storm surge alongside the coast.
A report storm for Jamaica
Melissa could possibly be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has skilled in many years, mentioned Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service. He warned that cleanup and injury evaluation can be severely delayed due to anticipated landslides, flooding and blocked roads.
Along with the rainfall, Melissa is more likely to trigger a life-threatening storm surge on Jamaica’s southern coast, peaking round 13 ft (4 meters) above floor stage, close to and to the east of the place the middle of Melissa makes landfall, the U.S. middle mentioned.
“Do not make silly choices,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We’re in a really, very critical time over the following few days.”
Successful on Hispaniola
The storm has already dropped heavy rain within the Dominican Republic, the place colleges and authorities workplaces have been ordered to stay closed on Monday in 4 of 9 provinces nonetheless below purple alert.
Melissa broken greater than 750 properties throughout the nation, displacing greater than 3,760 folks. Floodwaters have additionally minimize entry to at the very least 48 communities, officers mentioned.
In neighboring Haiti, the storm destroyed crops in three areas, together with 15 hectares (37 acres) of maize at a time when at the very least 5.7 million folks, greater than half of the nation’s inhabitants, is experiencing disaster ranges of starvation, with 1.9 million of these dealing with emergency ranges of starvation.
“Flooding is obstructing entry to farmland and markets, jeopardizing harvests and the winter agricultural season,” the U.N.’s Meals and Agriculture Group mentioned.
Melissa was anticipated to maintain dumping torrential rain over southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic within the upcoming days.
