Weather tracker: Jamaica braces for its most powerful hurricane as Melissa nears category 5

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Brendan Wood and Lauren Herdman for the MetDeskOctober 27, 2025 at 08:30 AM

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Hurricane Melissa, expected to reach category 5 intensity, is heading towards Jamaica with peak winds of 160mph, potentially becoming the strongest hurricane ever to hit the island directly. The storm began as a cluster of thunderstorms off west Africa and has rapidly intensified over the weekend. Due to its slow movement, averaging barely 5mph, extremely high rainfall of up to 1,000mm is anticipated across Jamaica by Tuesday evening. The US National Hurricane Center warns of extensive infrastructure damage, power outages, and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides in Jamaica and nearby islands. Additionally, two powerful storms recently battered New Zealand, causing widespread damage including downed electricity poles and disrupted transportation services.

Key Topics & Entities

New Zealand ×240% Hurricane Gilbert 50% United States National Hurricane Center 60% Caribbean ×380% Jamaica ×590% Hurricane Melissa ×7100%

Keywords

hurricane melissa 100% jamaica 90% caribbean 80% category 5 hurricane 70% new zealand storms 60% rapid intensification 60% landslides 50% flash flooding 50% storm surges 50% power outages 40%