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4h ago

Hurricane Melissa Intensifies to Category 4 Near Jamaica With Cat 5 Possible

Prolonged, catastrophic flooding with dangerous storm surge is now the central threat.

Hurricane Melissa is rapidly intensifying, transitioning from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in just 12 hours, with up to 40 inches of rain expected in Jamaica and Hispaniola through Wednesday.(Photo by RAMMB/CIRA / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT AFP PHOTO / RAMMB/CIRA - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
Image
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Melissa on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (NOAA via AP)
This aerial view shows storm surge crashing into the seawall that protects Palisadoes Strip, the route to Norman Manley International Airport, before the arrival of Hurricane Melissa, in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 25, 2025. Deadly storm Melissa strengthened Saturday afternoon into a Category 1 hurricane, with rapid intensification expected over the weekend as it cut a worryingly slow course toward the Caribbean island of Jamaica, forecasters said. (Photo by Ricardo Makyn / AFP)

Overview

  • National Hurricane Center advisories report maximum sustained winds near 140 mph and warn further rapid strengthening could push Melissa to near–Category 5 before approach.
  • Forecast guidance places the center near or over Jamaica late Monday into Tuesday, then across southeastern Cuba late Tuesday and the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday as the storm crawls at 3–5 mph.
  • A hurricane warning covers Jamaica, with hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings for southwestern Haiti and hurricane watches for eastern Cuba’s provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín.
  • Rainfall of 15–30 inches is expected across Jamaica and southern Hispaniola with isolated totals up to 35–40 inches, bringing catastrophic flash flooding, deadly landslides, and long-duration power and communications outages.
  • The NHC projects life‑threatening storm surge of roughly 9–13 feet along Jamaica’s south coast; early impacts include airport closures in Kingston, hundreds of shelters opened, and reported fatalities and infrastructure damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.