Hurricane Melissa Intensifies too Category 4, Jamaica Braces for Impact
Kingston, jamaica – October 26, 2025 – Hurricane melissa has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm and is currently threatening Jamaica with possibly catastrophic flooding, prompting urgent calls for residents to seek shelter. The storm packs sustained winds of approximately 225 kilometers per hour, according to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The NHC forecasts further strengthening, predicting Melissa will reach Category 5 status – the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale – by sunday night. This marks the thirteenth tropical storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, wich extends from early June to late November.
Melissa’s exceptionally slow movement, currently at just six kilometers per hour, is a major concern for meteorologists. This sluggish pace increases the risk of prolonged, torrential rainfall across impacted areas.
“This potential for extreme rainfall, due to slow movement, is going to create a catastrophic event in Jamaica,” warned NHC Deputy director Jamie Rhome. “Conditions will deteriorate very very quickly in the next few hours, do not go out after dark,” he urged.
The impact of Melissa is already being felt across the Caribbean. Authorities in the Dominican Republic are utilizing drones to deliver food to families isolated by widespread flooding, with images revealing areas rendered inaccessible due to overflowing rivers.
More than 3,700 people have been evacuated or displaced consequently of the storm, and 48 communities are currently cut off. Tragically, four deaths have been attributed to the intense rains and landslides caused by Melissa in Haiti and the Dominican Republic this week.
Jamaica, Dominica, and Haiti are currently considered the most vulnerable to the hurricane’s effects. Residents are urged to heed all warnings and instructions from local authorities.
(rr afp/ap/diario libre)
