In addition to damaging winds, Melissa is bringing "catastrophic flash flooding, and life-threatening storm surge" to the island. The storm was "one of the most powerful hurricane landfalls on record in the Atlantic Basin," according to the NHC. Melissa was located about 110 miles south-southeast of the central Bahamas.

Article last updated: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, 5 p.m. ET

Hurricane Melissa weakened slightly as it crawled over Jamaica, but not enough to save Cuba from devastating impacts.

Hotter-than-average Caribbean water made Hurricane Melissa stronger and wetter. Its part of a trend that scientists link back to climate change.

Lightning flashes in the eyewall of Category 5 Melissa are a marker of how strong the storm is. It reached a central pressure of 892 millibars, among the lowest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. It is tied as the third-most intense Atlantic storm with the devastating 1935 Labor Day hurricane.

Cuba: Hurricane-force winds are occurring within the warning area, and the eastern part of the country is likely to face life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding with numerous landslides. It is also warning of a dangerous storm surge.

Tropical Storm Melissa joins a growing number of storms that are putting on the brakes and increasing the risk of dangerous impacts as a result.