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Status of Hurricane Melissa at 4:17 a.m. EDT, October 29, 2025
Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 3 storm, made landfall approximately one hour ago, at 3:10 a.m. EDT, on the southern coast of Cuba, in the eastern province of Granma, near Chivirico (20.0°N 76.1°W).
At landfall, maximum sustained winds reached 193 km/h (120 mph) with a minimum pressure of 952 mb.
Currently, the storm is moving northeast at 16 km/h (10 mph) over eastern Cuba, bringing catastrophic hurricane-force winds, life-threatening flash flooding, numerous landslides, and storm surges of up to 3.7 meters (12 feet) along the southeastern coast.
Hurricane warnings remain in effect for the eastern provinces of Cuba (Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas) and the southeastern and central Bahamas; a hurricane watch remains in effect for Bermuda.
Melissa formed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean around October 25. It rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane (maximum sustained winds of 298 km/h, 892 mb, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded).
Melissa first made landfall in western Jamaica between 2:00 and 5:00 PM EDT on October 28 as a Category 5 hurricane (the strongest storm ever to hit Jamaica). It weakened to a Category 3 hurricane upon landfall before reaching Cuba.
On the forecast track, Melissa accelerates northeastward across Cuba today (October 29), passes southeastern/central Bahamas late today, near Bermuda Thursday night, and then into the open North Atlantic. Extratropical transition is expected late Thursday or Friday. There is no threat to the continental United States.
Melissa was the worst storm of this century to hit Jamaica, tying the record for the most intense storm to make landfall in the Atlantic. It highlighted the rapid intensification caused by climate change due to warmer waters.
At least 15 people have died across the region, causing multimillion-dollar economic devastation (Jamaica was the hardest hit). Aid is being mobilized (the US, Canada, and the UK are offering assistance).
Melissa weakened to a tropical storm on Friday over the Atlantic, with persistent swells and rip currents affecting the US East Coast and the Caribbean.
Lessons learned include the exposed vulnerabilities in infrastructure and evacuations, and the urgent need for resilient rebuilding.
Stay safe, follow updates from the National Hurricane Center, and avoid flooded areas and downed power lines. Relief efforts are underway; donate through the Red Cross/UN.
