Hurricane Melissa intensifies to catastrophic category 5 storm

Tuesday 28 October 2025 - 07:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Hurricane Melissa intensifies to catastrophic category 5 storm

Hurricane Melissa has escalated into a catastrophic category 5 storm, with scientists linking its rapid intensification to exceptionally warm Atlantic waters driven by climate change. Over the weekend, the hurricane’s wind speeds doubled to 165 mph in less than 24 hours, making it the most powerful storm to threaten Jamaica since records began in 1851.

Now located just 100 miles south of Jamaica, Melissa is advancing at a dangerously slow pace of 3 mph, which is expected to prolong its devastating impact. Landfall is forecast for Tuesday morning, with the storm predicted to unleash up to 40 inches of rain, storm surges as high as 13 feet, and winds exceeding 180 mph in mountainous areas.

Climate change drives unprecedented intensification

The Atlantic waters along Melissa’s path are 2 to 3 degrees Celsius warmer than average, hovering around 30°C. Meteorologist Akshay Deoras from the University of Reading described these conditions as "a vast reservoir of energy for the storm." The heat extends deep into the ocean, fostering an environment ripe for explosive intensification.

According to Climate Central, these unusually warm temperatures are 500 to 800 times more likely due to human-induced climate change. The organization estimates that climate change has increased Melissa’s maximum wind speeds by approximately 10 mph (16 km/h), pushing it from a category 4 to a category 5 storm. This intensification could potentially amplify damages by up to 50 percent.

“Climate change is fundamentally altering our weather,” said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at Climate Central. “In our warmer world, the likelihood of rapid and super-rapid storm intensification continues to grow.”

Deadly impact across the Caribbean

Melissa has already claimed at least six lives in the northern Caribbean. In Haiti, three people died due to landslides and falling trees, while the Dominican Republic reported one death and one person missing. Two additional fatalities occurred in Jamaica over the weekend as residents braced for the storm.

The hurricane’s slow progression has wreaked havoc on infrastructure across the region. In the Dominican Republic, nearly 200 homes were damaged, and over 625,000 residents lost access to clean water after 60 aqueducts were shut down. Authorities are using drones to deliver supplies to communities isolated by flooding and landslides.

Jamaica has opened more than 880 shelters and issued mandatory evacuation orders for seven flood-prone communities, including Port Royal and parts of Kingston. Both of the island’s main airports have suspended operations as authorities warn of potentially life-threatening impacts.

A record-breaking hurricane season

This year marks only the second Atlantic hurricane season on record to produce more than two category 5 storms, matching the historic 2005 season that witnessed four such giants. Anne Rasmussen of the Alliance of Small Island States urged immediate climate action ahead of next month’s climate talks in Brazil, stating, “We need urgent measures to stay on track with the 1.5-degree Celsius warming limit to prevent even worse impacts in the future.”