Hurricane Melissa becomes Category 5, poised for catastrophic hit on Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm early Monday, with forecasters warning of catastrophic flash flooding, life-threatening landslides and extremely strong winds across the Caribbean, but especially in Jamaica.

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The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami urged Jamaicans to move to their shelters and remain there throughout the storm. Dangerous conditions are expected to begin Monday and continue through Tuesday as the system approaches the island.

Melissa is forecast to make landfall in Jamaica early Tuesday. Government officials are scheduled to update the nation at 11:30 a.m. Monday.

As of 5 a.m. ET, the hurricane was located 130 miles southwest of Kingston with sustained winds of 160 mph, placing it at the top of the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Forecasters expect the storm to intensify even further before landfall.

The NHC described Melissa as the most powerful storm to threaten the region since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Jamaica could see between 15 and 30 inches of rainfall, along with damaging winds, extensive infrastructure impacts and a dangerous storm surge along the southern coast.

Some areas in the east could receive up to 40 inches of rain — more than parts of the island typically record in a full year. Wind speeds over mountainous terrain could surge up to 30% higher than the storm’s sustained winds, potentially topping 200 mph.

Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s minister of local government and community development, said Sunday night that 218 people had already taken refuge in some of the country’s 881 shelters.

“We have activated all shelters across Jamaica, so…persons who want to go to the shelters can do so,” he said, while addressing a press briefing at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management in Kingston on Sunday.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness also on Sunday issued the Disaster Risk Management (Hurricane Melissa) Evacuation Order, 2025.

This Order takes effect immediately and requires all persons to evacuate the following areas:

1. Port Royal, Kingston

2. Portland Cottage, Clarendon

3. Rocky Point, Clarendon

4. Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine

5. Taylor Land, Bull Bay, St. Andrew

6. New Haven, St. Andrew

7. Riverton City, St. Andrew

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened to a Category 5 system and is now approximately 100 miles south of Kingston, moving slowly westward.

Based on current projections, all of Jamaica is likely to experience hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding.

The Government has… pic.twitter.com/GUd0FxuCmD

— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) October 27, 2025

Haiti and the Dominican Republic are also expected to experience catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding by midweek, according to the NHC. Cuba is bracing for heavy rain, landslides and flooding beginning Monday. A hurricane watch remains in effect for the central and southeastern Bahamas, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The storm has already claimed at least four lives — three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.