Hurricane Melissa intensified into a rare Category 5 tropical storm has winds of 282 km per hour, with stronger gusts, making it the strongest storm of the year 2025. Melissa is lashing Jamaica with wind and heavy rainfall, resulting in flash floods and landslides at several places. The government ordered mandatory evacuation for the coastal areas of Jamaica.
At least three people have been killed in Haiti and Jamaica each and one person in the Dominican Republic. The US weather experts termed it as "catastrophic and life-threatening" conditions as Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall on the Caribbean Island early on Tuesday, October 28.
Hurricane Melissa Live Tracker Map on Windy
In the map above, one can track real-time updates on Hurricane Melissa through satellite technology on Windy.com.
Meanwhile, the Jamaican Prime Minister issued an advisory on X (formerly Twitter) giving an update on Melissa. He said the hurricane is moving slowly toward the northwest at 4 km/h. A slow turn toward the north is expected tonight, followed by a turn toward the northeast and a faster forward speed on Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move near over Jamaica by early Tuesday. Maximum sustained winds are near 280 km/h with higher gusts. Hurricane Melissa is a Category 5 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuation in intensity is likely before Melissia makes landfall on Jamaica as an extremely powerful major hurricane on Tuesday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 km (30 miles) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward 315 km (195 miles). Doppler radar and satellite images show that outer bands of Hurricane Melissa have been producing periods of moderate to heavy rainfall over mainly southern and western sections of Jamaica over the past few hours.
Also Read | Jamaica braces for its strongest recorded hurricane's impact.
HURRICANE WARNING remains in effect for Jamaica, as powerful Hurricane Melissa is expected to turn toward Jamaicatonight while moving over the Caribbean Sea south of the island. At 7:00 p.m., the centre of Hurricane Melissa was located near latitude 16.6 degrees North, 78.6 degrees West. This is 245 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of Kingston, or 189 kilometres (118 miles) south of Negril Point, Jamaica.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 km (30 miles) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward 315 km (195 miles). Doppler radar and satellite images show that outer bands of Hurricane Melissa have been producing periods of moderate to heavy rainfall over mainly southern and western sections of Jamaica over the past few hours.
Hurricane Melissa is expected to produce rainfall amounts reaching 350-750 mm (15-30 inches) over parts of Jamaica in the next couple of days, especially over central and eastern parishes, with higher amounts over hilly terrain. Catastrophic flash floods and landslides are likely. Tropical storm conditions are occurring over Jamaica, and catastrophic hurricane-force wind conditions are expected to begin tonight and continue into Tuesday.
Life-threatening storm surge, accompanied by large and destructive waves, is likely along the south coast of Jamaica tonight and on Tuesday, peaking at 9 to 13 feet above ground level near and to the east of where the centre of Melissa makes landfall. On the northwestern coast, there is the possibility of 1-3 foot storm surge above ground level. Small craft operators, including fishers on the cays and banks, are reminded to remain in safe harbour until all warning messages have been lifted and wind and sea conditions have returned to normal.