Hurricane Melissa
(noun)
Definition:
Hurricane Melissa is a historic and catastrophic tropical cyclone that struck the Caribbean — most powerfully Jamaica and Cuba — in October 2025. The thirteenth named storm and third Category 5 hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, Melissa was the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2025, tying with the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane as the most intense landfalling Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, with a central pressure of 892 millibars.
Meteorological Overview:
Forming from a tropical wave off West Africa on October 16, 2025, Melissa moved westward across the Atlantic, developing into a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea by October 21. After several days of erratic movement, it underwent rapid intensification between October 25–27, reaching Category 5 strength. On October 28, Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Westmoreland, Jamaica, with sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) — the most powerful hurricane to ever hit Jamaica.
Crossing the island’s in…
