The Caribbean is bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the strongest recorded storm of 2025, as it approaches Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This hurricane is being labeled as potentially “the storm of the century” for Jamaica due to its immense strength and destructive capacity.
Hurricane Melissa has reached Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which classifies hurricanes based on their wind speeds and potential damage. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) explains that this scale ranges from 1 to 5, with Category 5 representing the highest level of danger and intensity. Residents of Jamaica should prepare for “destructive winds, cyclonic waves, and catastrophic flooding,” with wind speeds exceeding 280 km/h already reported.
Approximately 50,000 people in Jamaica are currently without electricity, and government officials estimate that millions could be affected as the storm progresses. The United Nations Children”s Fund (UNICEF) has indicated that at least 1.6 million children in the Caribbean are at risk due to Hurricane Melissa”s path.
When a Category 5 hurricane strikes, the damage can be catastrophic. According to an article by National Geographic on the Saffir-Simpson scale, storms of this magnitude are capable of causing extensive destruction. Homes are likely to be destroyed, leaving large areas uninhabitable and without essential services like water and electricity for weeks or even months.
It is important to note that the Saffir-Simpson scale does not account for other life-threatening risks associated with hurricanes, such as storm surges, rainfall-induced flooding, or tornadoes, as cautioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This highlights the necessity for precautionary measures, including the evacuation of vulnerable coastal areas.
The WMO notes a concerning trend: hurricanes achieving Category 5 status have become less rare, attributed to atmospheric changes and rising ocean temperatures driven by climate change. A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed that increasing temperatures are leading to slower, rainier storms that can intensify rapidly, with some storms gaining wind speed of 56 km/h within just 24 hours. This rapid intensification is exemplified by Hurricane Melissa, which transitioned from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in under a day before escalating to Category 5.
Hurricane Melissa intensified as it moved over exceptionally warm ocean waters, approximately 1.4 °C above average, a situation that is now up to 700 times more likely due to human-induced climate change, according to Climate Central. As a result, the potential damages from Hurricane Melissa may have increased by 50%.
Another storm that followed this pattern was Hurricane Milton, which impacted the southern United States in October 2024, particularly Florida. NOAA emphasizes that warmer ocean temperatures provide more fuel for hurricanes to grow stronger, provided that other atmospheric conditions, such as wind shear, are also conducive.
