Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a serious Class 4 hurricane on Sunday, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to deliver flash flooding and landslides to the northern Caribbean, the Miami-based Nationwide Hurricane Heart stated.
The middle stated these impacts could possibly be “life-threatening and catastrophic” for elements of Haiti and Jamaica, particularly as Melissa was doubtlessly forecast to accentuate additional right into a Class 5 storm.
The climate company added that Melissa is more likely to attain the southern coast of Jamaica as a serious hurricane late Monday or Tuesday morning, and urged folks on the island to hunt shelter instantly.
“I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously,” stated Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “Take all measures to protect yourself.”
Fishermen’s boats are tied collectively in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa close to the fishing village of Rae City, East Kingston, Jamaica, on October 25, 2025.
RICARDO MAKYN/AFP through Getty Photos
Melissa was anticipated to drop torrential rains of as much as 30 inches on Jamaica and southern Hispaniola — Haiti and the Dominican Republic — in line with the hurricane heart. Some areas may even see as a lot as 40 inches of rain.
It additionally warned that in depth injury to infrastructure, energy and communication outages, and the isolation of communities in Jamaica have been to be anticipated.
Melissa must be close to or over Cuba by late Tuesday, the place it might deliver as much as 12 inches of rain, earlier than shifting towards the Bahamas later Wednesday.
The Cuban authorities on Saturday afternoon issued a hurricane look ahead to the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin.
A minimum of 4 lifeless on Hispaniola
The erratic and slow-moving storm has killed at the least three folks in Haiti and a fourth individual within the Dominican Republic, the place one other individual stays lacking.
“Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire,” Jamie Rhome, the hurricane heart’s deputy director, stated earlier on Saturday. He stated the storm will proceed to maneuver slowly for as much as 4 days.
Authorities in Jamaica stated on Saturday that the Norman Manley Worldwide Airport in Kingston might be closed at 8 p.m. native time. It didn’t say whether or not it’s going to shut the Sangster airport in Montego Bay, on the western facet of the island.
Greater than 650 shelters have been activated in Jamaica. Officers stated warehouses throughout the island have been well-stocked and 1000’s of meals packages prepositioned for fast distribution if wanted.
Broken properties, rising water
Haitian authorities stated three folks had died as a consequence of the hurricane and one other 5 have been injured on account of a collapsed wall. There have been additionally reviews of rising river ranges, flooding and a bridge destroyed on account of breached riverbanks in Sainte-Suzanne, within the northeast.
“The storm is causing a lot of concern with the way it’s moving,” stated Ronald Délice, a Haitian division director of civil safety, as native authorities organized traces to distribute meals kits. Many residents are nonetheless reluctant to go away their properties.
The storm has broken almost 200 properties within the Dominican Republic and knocked out water provide methods, affecting greater than half one million clients. It additionally downed timber and visitors lights, unleashed a few small landslides and left greater than two dozen communities remoted by floodwaters.
Youngsters play in a avenue flooded by rains brought on by Tropical Storm Melissa in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
Ricardo Hernandez / AP
The Bahamas Division of Meteorology stated Melissa might deliver tropical storm or hurricane situations to islands within the Southeast and Central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands by early subsequent week.
Melissa is the thirteenth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
The U.S. Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted an above-normal season with 13 to 18 named storms.
