Clouds cowl Kingston, Jamaica, forward of the forecast arrival of Hurricane Melissa on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.
Matias Delacroix/AP
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Matias Delacroix/AP
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hurricane Melissa intensified to Class 5 power 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 stated.
The hurricane had most sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph) and was shifting west at 3 mph (6 kph), the middle stated.
Class 5 is the very 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 jap Jamaica might get 40 inches (1 meter) of rain whereas western Haiti might get 16 inches (40 centimeters), in response to hurricane middle. “Catastrophic flash flooding and quite a few landslides are doubtless,” it warned.
The slow-moving storm has killed at the least three folks in Haiti and a fourth individual within the Dominican Republic, the place one other individual stays lacking.
“I need to urge Jamaicans to take this significantly,” stated Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Catastrophe Danger Administration Council. “Don’t gamble with Melissa. It isn’t a secure wager.”
The hurricane was anticipated to make one other landfall later Tuesday in jap 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 had been forecast for components of Cuba, together with a major storm surge alongside the coast.
Staff board up store home windows forward of Hurricane Melissa’s forecast arrival in Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.
Matias Delacroix/AP
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Matias Delacroix/AP
A file storm for Jamaica
Melissa might be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has skilled in many years, stated Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service. He warned that cleanup and harm evaluation can be severely delayed due to anticipated landslides, flooding and blocked roads.
Along with the rainfall, Melissa is prone to trigger a life-threatening storm surge on Jamaica’s southern coast, peaking round 13 toes (4 meters) above floor degree, close to and to the east of the place the middle of Melissa makes landfall, the U.S. middle stated.
“Do not make silly selections,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We’re in a really, very severe time over the following few days.”
Successful on Hispaniola
The storm already has dropped heavy rain within the Dominican Republic, the place colleges and authorities workplaces had been ordered to stay closed on Monday in 4 of 9 provinces nonetheless below pink alert.
Melissa broken greater than 750 houses throughout the nation, displacing greater than 3,760 folks. Floodwaters even have lower entry to at the least 48 communities, officers stated.
In neighboring Haiti, the storm destroyed crops in three areas, together with 15 hectares (37 acres) of maize at a time when at the 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 going through 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 stated.
Melissa was anticipated to maintain dumping torrential rain over southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic in upcoming days.
