Melissa Becomes Third Category 5 Storm This Year
Hurricane Melissa has yet to make landfall; however, it is already claiming its place in the record books. Here is the latest on this monster storm as it churns through the Caribbean, including how it is stacking up against other historic storms.
Latest Update on Hurricane Melissa
As of a Monday afternoon update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Melissa is a Category 5 monster with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. This is particularly notable, as the winds are well over the threshold of 157 mph for Category 5 storms, the highest level assigned by the NHC. The storm is moving at a slow clip of 3 mph, down from 5 mph earlier in the day.
The west-northwest track of the storm is taking Melissa on a crash course with Jamaica on Tuesday morning. Meteorologists are warning that the slow forward speed of Melissa will translate into a greater threat of devastating rainfall amounts over Jamaica. Storms that are slow to exit are inherently more dangerous because their impacts linger longer.
Melissa was a mere tropical storm when the weekend began. After going through the process of rapid intensification, the storm became the third Category 5 storm this season. You have to go back to the record-breaking 2005 season to find the last time that one year produced three Category 5 events.
What makes the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season the most unique is that 2005 experienced twice as many named storms. That season saw a whopping 28 named storms, compared to just 13 so far this year. This means that while 2025 is not producing the same volume of storms, the ones that are coming to life are trending stronger.
By Monday afternoon, Melissa was the strongest storm to form in any part of the world's oceans this year. Climatologists are also noting that Melissa could end up being the most intense storm ever recorded this late in the season in the Atlantic basin.
Melissa is also gaining distinction for its historic low pressure. As of Monday afternoon, Melissa was packing a pressure of 906 millibars. This is the lowest pressure measurement of the three Category 5 events this season. The measurement also puts Melissa in a tie with 2017's Hurricane Maria for the ninth-lowest pressure of any Atlantic storm on the record books.
Looking back at the Atlantic basin this year, Hurricane Erin became the first hurricane of the season when it hit wind speeds of 160 mph as it churned north of the Caribbean islands. Although Erin kept its distance from the U.S, its large size generated significant coastal flooding for the Atlantic coastline.
Hurricane Humberto also went through rapid intensification in September on its way to becoming a monster Category 5 storm. Like Erin, Humberto remained well offshore from the U.S. but was still able to generate life-threatening rip currents and rough surf conditions up and down the East Coast.
What is Next for Melissa?
Melissa is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane along the coast of Jamaica at about 9 am EDT on Tuesday. While the worst of the impacts will be felt across the western and central portions of the island, the life-threatening effects will not be limited to this area. There is a chance that Melissa's wind speeds could fall slightly as it approaches land. However, forecasters warn that there is little difference between a Category 5 and a Category 4 storm.
Forecasters are predicting that conditions will continue to worsen on Monday. The impacts will be felt into early Wednesday for Jamaica. From there, the storm is forecast to make a second landfall in eastern Cuba before tracking into the central Bahamas. The predicted track is less certain after the middle of the week. The U.S. will not see any direct impacts from Melissa. But portions of Atlantic Canada or even Europe may see some of Melissa's remnants in the week ahead.
The development and track of Melissa continues to be a dire situation for those in the Caribbean and beyond. Stay tuned as we provide the latest details of this catastrophic storm.
Looking for stories that inform and engage? From breaking headlines to fresh perspectives, WaveNewsToday has more to explore. Ride the wave of what’s next.