Hurricane Melissa was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that made a catastrophic landfall in Jamaica in late October 2025. By maximum sustained winds, it is tied with Hurricane Allen as the strongest Atlantic hurricane, and with Hurricane Dorian and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane as the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane. Allen and Melissa are the only Atlantic hurricanes to attain maximum sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h). In terms of minimum central pressure, it is tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, and was the second-most intense at landfall. Climate scientists analyzing Melissa concluded that human-driven climate change, which raises ocean temperatures, intensified the hurricane's destructive winds and rainfall.
The thirteenth and final named storm, fifth hurricane, fourth major hurricane, and third Category 5 hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, Melissa formed from a tropical wave that originated from West Africa on October 13. It traveled from the central Atlantic to the Windward Islands, and then moved quickly westward into the Caribbean Sea, where it slowed down and developed into Tropical Storm Melissa on October 21. Weak steering currents and moderate wind shear kept Melissa meandering and disorganized for the next few days as it slowly moved northwest. Over the following days, Melissa became better organized, and from October 25 to 27, rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, just below peak intensity, on October 28. Melissa emerged from the north coast of Jamaica later that day, weakened, and made landfall near Chivirico, Cuba, the next day. Melissa weakened to a Category 1 hurricane after landfall, approached Bermuda as a Category 2 hurricane, then again weakened before becoming a hurricane-force extratropical low on October 31 northeast of Bermuda, dissipating the following day.
Melissa was the strongest recorded hurricane to strike Jamaica, surpassing Hurricane Gilbert in 1988; numerous structures were completely destroyed. In Hispaniola, even though Melissa itself stayed far to the southwest, its outer rainbands produced heavy rains over the island, leading to severe and deadly flash floods and landslides. Jamaica saw catastrophic damage from Melissa, with several locations near the point of landfall experiencing almost total destruction, especially around the Westmoreland and Saint Elizabeth parishes. Significant agricultural and infrastructure damage occurred in these regions due to storm surge, flooding, and high wind gusts from Melissa's eyewall passing over. Many towns in western Jamaica were also significantly flooded as a result, which also hampered recovery efforts. Telecommunications were also severely affected, especially in the western parts of Jamaica. In all, 95 deaths were attributed to Melissa, including 45 in Jamaica, 43 in Haiti, 4 in the Dominican Republic, and 1 in Cuba. Estimated monetary losses in Jamaica were over US$12 billion. Owing to its catastrophic impacts in Jamaica, the name Melissa was retired from the rotating name list in March 2026 by the World Meteorological Organization, and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced with the name Molly, which will first appear in the list for the 2031 season.
Meteorological history
Melissa developed from a tropical wave that first moved off the coast of Africa on October 13. On October 16, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring the wave for potential development. By October 19, the wave moved through the Windward Islands and into the Caribbean Sea. The disturbance moved quickly westward, then slowed significantly, providing an opportunity for development of a well-defined center and organized deep convection early on October 21, becoming Tropical Storm Melissa. On account of weak steering currents between ridges of high pressure to its northwest and southeast, Melissa moved slowly and erratically west to northwest over the central Caribbean, and was unable to strengthen appreciably due to westerly wind shear from a broad upper level trough moving over the Gulf of Mexico; the circulation would constantly reform to the east during this period. The trough then bypassed Melissa, resulting in a gradual decrease in the shear. This allowed Melissa's core to become vertically aligned. Later, increased outflow became apparent in the eastern half of the system as it slowly drifted north on October 25. By this time, the northern motion halted as Melissa was increasingly being steered by the ridge to its northwest.
Enabled by very favorable environmental conditions, consisting of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of 86–88 °F (30–31 °C), very high ocean heat content, wind shear decreasing to lighter values, and very high levels of mid-level relative humidity, Melissa commenced a period of rapid intensification late on October 25 and became a hurricane that afternoon. Its maximum sustained winds nearly doubled from 70 mph (110 km/h) to 130 mph (215 km/h) in 24 hours. While moving generally westward, Melissa attained Category 5 status early on October 27; its winds reached 180 mph (285 km/h) by 18:00 UTC and stayed at that level for about 18 hours. Unusually for a storm of such high intensity, Melissa never underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, allowing it to sustain its high intensity for a prolonged period, according to several meteorologists. After turning north-northeastward, the system attained maximum sustained winds of 190 mph (305 km/h), and a minimum central pressure of 892 mbar (hPa) (26.34 inHg) at 12:00 UTC on October 28. Land interaction imparted slight weakening, and at 17:25 UTC, the storm made landfall near New Hope in Westmoreland Parish just below peak intensity, with sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and a pressure of 897 mbar (hPa) (26.49 inHg). The hurricane weakened inland over the mountains, and emerged off Jamaica's north coast into the Caribbean at Category 3 strength, headed toward Cuba.
The storm continued to weaken as it headed towards Cuba and the hurricane made landfall in eastern Cuba at 07:10 UTC on October 29 about 20 mi (30 km) east of Chivirico, with sustained Category 3 winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a pressure of 954 mbar (hPa) (28.17 inHg). Inland, the rugged terrain of Cuba led to additional weakening, and the storm's sustained winds fell to high-end Category 1 strength by the time Melissa moved back offshore, into the Atlantic Ocean, eight hours later. The storm accelerated northeast, maintaining that intensity before making landfall in Long Island at 22:15 UTC on 29 October, followed by another landfall at San Salvador Island, Bahamas with a slightly lower pressure at 02:00 UTC on 30 October. Late that day, the storm re-strengthened once more to Category 2 intensity, attaining sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h), as it headed towards Bermuda on the morning of October 30. Increasing wind shear and decreasing sea surface temperatures caused Melissa to undergo extratropical transition early on October 31, and to weaken again to Category 1 strength, as it passed near Bermuda. Melissa completed its transition to a hurricane-force extratropical cyclone that day, dissipating fully on November 1 as it opened into a trough and merged into a larger trough.
Records
Globally, Hurricane Melissa is the strongest tropical cyclone of 2025 and the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in Jamaica on record. Melissa is tied with Hurricane Allen as the most intense Atlantic hurricane in terms of one-minute sustained winds and is tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of lowest barometric pressure. Melissa is the second most intense Atlantic hurricane at landfall in terms of lowest barometric pressure after the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and is tied with Hurricane Dorian and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the strongest Atlantic hurricane at landfall in terms of maximum sustained winds. Melissa also holds the record for the highest wind gust ever measured by dropsonde – 252 mph (406 km/h), surpassing the previous record of 241 mph (387 km/h) by Typhoon Megi in 2010.
Effect of climate change
Melissa experienced extreme rapid intensification as it drifted slowly over waters that were 2.5 °F (1.4 °C) warmer than average, sea conditions that two rapid attribution studies estimated to be 500–900 times more likely to be that warm because of human-caused climate change. Additionally, climate change is estimated by these studies to have strengthened the hurricane's top wind speed by about 10 mph (16 km/h), thus increasing its potential to inflict damage by up to 50%. Also, rainfall was estimated to be up to 10% higher due to climate change.
Preparations
Greater Antilles
On October 21, a hurricane watch was issued for southern portions of Haiti, while a tropical storm watch was issued for Jamaica. Jamaica's watch was upgraded to a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning on October 23. The next day, it was upgraded to a hurricane warning. A tropical storm warning was added to the southern portions of Haiti, also on October 23. The Margaritaville at Sea Islander rerouted from stops on Grand Cayman and Jamaica to Belize and Honduras. The Disney Treasure was rerouted from Tortola and Saint Thomas to Cozumel and Disney Wish changed its schedule at Castaway Cay to allow for the Treasure's route change. Celebrity Beyond and Icon of the Seas saw a complete change to their schedules, moving to a western Caribbean-focused route. Carnival Celebration and Carnival Vista scrapped stops in the Dominican Republic. Carnival Dream and Carnival Liberty cancelled stops to Montego Bay and Liberty also cancelled a stop in the Cayman Islands. Airlines cancelled 167 flights in airports from the Greater Antilles and other nearby regions such as in the Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, and the US Virgin Islands.
The U.S. National Weather Service in Puerto Rico issued a flood warning for several municipalities due to potential heavy rains from the outer bands of Melissa on October 22.
In the Dominican Republic, four shelters were opened in San Juan de la Maguana, San Cristóbal, and the National District and 61 people sought sheltering. Twelve provinces were placed under red alert. Around 90 people evacuated Saona Island.
The Government of the Cayman Islands provided sandbags for citizens. Cayman Airways waived change-of-flight fees in relation to Melissa's approach. All touristic diving operations ceased on the islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac on October 24.
In Cuba, hurricane warnings were issued for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas while a tropical storm warning was issued for Camagüey Province. First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel reported that 735,000 people were evacuated in the country's eastern regions. Additionally, the United States Navy began evacuating several hundred people, including all non-mission-essential U.S. citizens, from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to Florida.
Jamaica
The Ministry of Transportation of Jamaica deployed 30 buses for the emergency situation in Portmore, Spanish Town, Rockfort, and Montego Bay. On October 25, all airports were shut down. By October 27, regular services with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company were suspended. The National Water Commission mobilized teams and equipment. The University of the West Indies ordered the evacuation of its students in Mona, and graduation ceremonies at the Mona campus were postponed. Sandy Gully in Saint Andrew was de-silted as the storm approached. On October 24, public institutions including the National Gallery of Jamaica and the Bob Marley Museum closed. Shelters were opened at various locations, and by October 27, 1,700 people had evacuated. Some shelters were closed as residents were arriving, forcing them to wait outside. The government also reported that misinformation was dissuading people from using shelters. Black River High School was confused as a shelter and some people went there.
Elsewhere
On October 17, a yellow adverse weather alert was issued for Trinidad and Tobago as the precursor of Melissa approached. On October 18, a yellow alert was also issued in Martinique. That same day, a flash flood warning was issued in Barbados. In Curaçao, Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas closed schools on the island to allow for greater flexibility in the operation of emergency services. Colombia issued yellow alerts along its Atlantic coast for rough seas.
Hurricane warnings were made for the central and southwest Bahamas while a tropical storm warning was made for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Evacuation orders were made for Acklins, Crooked Island, Inagua, Long Cay, Mayaguana, and Ragged Island. Almost 1,500 residents evacuated prior to Melissa. Residents on the southern portion of Long Island were bussed to a community center. The British Ministry of Defence deployed eight people and the HMS Trent to the Turks and Caicos Islands to aid with preparations and relief. Several members of the Parliament of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands distributed food and sandbags to their constituents. Generators were filled and tested prior to the storm and two pump stations were activated. Carnival Celebration, Carnival Sunrise, and Freedom of the Seas scrapped stops to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A hurricane warning was issued for Bermuda. The Causeway, buses, and L.F. Wade International Airport were closed on the evening of October 30 and reopened October 31. Several ferry routes were closed on October 30 and all were closed the next day. Cedarbridge Academy opened as a shelter on October 30 and government offices were closed on the same day.
Impact
After the storm, outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses occurred, with reports of 700 cases of chikungunya per day and over 50,000 hospitalized due to the disease.
Hispaniola
Hispaniola received the most rainfall from Melissa, with parts of the Tiburon Peninsula receiving over 35 inches (890 mm) of rain. Polo, in the Dominican Republic, received 29 inches (740 mm) of rain.
In Haiti, 43 people were killed and 13 were missing; deaths include three from a landslide near Port-au-Prince, another by a falling tree in Marigot, and 25 after the La Digue River burst its banks in Petit-Goâve, while 15 others were injured by a collapsing wall in Artibonite Department. Petit-Goâve was submerged by dirt and debris. The La Digue River also swept away cars and homes. Over 645,000 people were affected. Six medical facilities and at least 840,000 structures were damaged across the country. By November 1, 15,800 people were still in shelters. A survey of farming households after the storm indicated agricultural losses as high as $5,854 per household in the most affected department.