Melissa gathers strength before 'catastrophic' landfall in Jamaica

Deutsche Welle (DW)CenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Mahima Kapoor with AP and ReutersOctober 26, 2025 at 05:34 PM

AI Summary

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Hurricane Melissa is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 storm before making landfall in Jamaica early next week, posing significant risks of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides. The hurricane currently has maximum sustained winds of 115 mph and is forecasted to intensify further over the coming days. Jamaican authorities have urged residents to prepare for the severe weather conditions expected on Monday. Melissa has already caused three deaths in Haiti due to landslides and fallen trees, while a fourth person was killed in the Dominican Republic, where nearly 200 homes were destroyed and water supply disrupted for more than half a million people. The storm is the 13th named one of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

Key Topics & Entities

Dominican Republic 35% Andrew Holness 40% Haiti ×240% US National Hurricane Center 50% Cuba ×260% Jamaica ×490% Melissa ×7100%

Keywords

hurricane melissa 100% jamaica 90% category 4 hurricane 80% landfall 70% catastrophic flooding 60% rapid intensification 50% atlantic hurricane season 50% flash flooding 40% named storm 40% weather forecasters 40%