Hurricane Melissa on Monday intensified into a Category 5 storm, the most powerful of hurricanes, while continuing to drop torrents of “catastrophic” rain across the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said.
As of the NHC’s 5 a.m. advisory, Melissa had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph located about 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica and 315 miles south-southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba moving west at 3 mph.
“I want to urge Jamaicans to take this seriously,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of the island’s Disaster Risk Management Council. “Do not gamble with Melissa. It’s not a safe bet.”
The system could drop 15-30 more inches by Wednesday with some areas getting as much as 40 inches on both Jamaica and southern Hispaniola.
Hurricane Melissa forecast path as of 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (NHC)
A hurricane warning was in place for Jamaica and the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin. A hurricane watch was in place for the southeastern and central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos. A tropical storm warning was in place for Haiti and the Cuban province of Las Tunas.
Cuba is forecast to get from 10-15 inches of rain with some areas getting as much as 20 inches into Wednesday, the NHC stated, but that is expected to increase as the storm gets closer.
“A slow turn toward the northwest and north is expected today and tonight, followed by a northeastward acceleration beginning on Tuesday and continuing through at least Thursday,” said NHC forecasters. “On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba Tuesday night, and across the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.”
The NHC said 4-8 inches is in store for the Bahamas expected Tuesday into Wednesday with 1-4 inches in the Turks and Caicos.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.
“Some additional strengthening is forecast today, with fluctuations in intensity likely before Melissa makes landfall on Jamaica early Tuesday. Melissa is expected to reach Jamaica and southeastern Cuba as a powerful major hurricane, and will still be at hurricane strength when it moves across the southeastern Bahamas,” forecasters said.
The system became a hurricane on Saturday afternoon and quickly grew in strength to a major hurricane by Saturday night, and has intensified more than 50 mph in less than 24 hours.
Jamaica will bear the brunt of the storm’s wrath for the next two days.
“Damaging winds and heavy rainfall today and on Monday will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslides before the strongest winds arrive Monday night and Tuesday morning,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist Philippe Papin. “Extensive infrastructural damage, long-duration power and communication outages, and isolation of communities are expected. Life-threatening storm surge is likely along portions of the southern coast Monday night and Tuesday morning.”
Melissa could be the strongest hurricane Jamaica has experienced in decades, said Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service.
He warned that cleanup and damage assessment would be severely delayed because of anticipated landslides, flooding and blocked roads.
“Don’t make foolish decisions,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister. “We are in a very, very serious time over the next few days.”
The rain for the system has already caused deadly flooding and landslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic with more heavy rainfall expected through midweek.
Melissa’s next target will be eastern Cuba, the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos with winds, rain and storm surge a threat. In eastern Cuba, the risk of flooding and landslides will increase as well.
The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at least three people in Haiti and a fourth person in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.
“Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire,” said NHC deputy directory Jamie Rhome on Saturday.
Storm surge in Jamaica is also a concern, which could reach 9-13 feet above ground level near where the center makes landfall. The surge threat will then continue along the southeast coast of Cuba late Tuesday or Wednesday.
Hurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a major, Category 3 storm.
Strengthening is expected to continue overnight. pic.twitter.com/CbuAg6c1qx
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) October 26, 2025
More than 650 shelters were activated in Jamaica. Officials said warehouses across the island were well-stocked and thousands of food packages prepositioned for quick distribution if needed.
Haitian authorities said three people had died as a consequence of the hurricane and another five were injured due to a collapsed wall. There were also reports of rising river levels, flooding and a bridge destroyed due to breached riverbanks in Sainte-Suzanne, in the northeast.
“The storm is causing a lot of concern with the way it’s moving,” said Ronald Délice, a Haitian department director of civil protection, as local authorities organized lines to distribute food kits. Many residents are still reluctant to leave their homes.
The storm destroyed crops in three regions, including 37 acres of maize at a time when at least 5.7 million people, more than half of the country’s population, is experiencing crisis levels of hunger, with 1.9 million of those facing emergency levels of hunger.
In the Dominican Republic, the storm damaged more than 750 homes across the country, displacing more than 3,760 people. Floodwaters also have cut access to at least 48 communities, officials said.
Melissa was expected to keep dumping torrential rain over southern Haiti and the southern Dominican Republic in upcoming days.
Map: Where will Hurricane Melissa hit? Here’s the latest
Melissa, which formed Tuesday, became the 13th tropical cyclone of the season.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal season with 13 to 18 named storms.
Five now have grown into hurricanes with four becoming major storms. Only one, Tropical Storm Chantal, made a U.S. landfall this year.
Hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.