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Jamaica braces for Category 5 hurricane

  • By: Kezia Royer-Burkett
  • Updated:
In this handout satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , Hurricane Melissa strengthens into a Category 4 storm as it churns northwest through the Caribbean Sea captured at 7:40Z on October 26, 2025. Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 4 hurricane and could further develop into a Category 5 as it approaches Jamaica, according to the National Hurricane Center. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)
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Hurricane Melissa has strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it bears down on Jamaica.

The U.S. National Hurricane Centre says Melissa is expected to make landfall on the island Tuesday, bringing destructive winds and up to 75 centimetres of rain.

The storm is the strongest to threaten Jamaica in recent history. It has already caused fatalities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and authorities are warning of catastrophic flash flooding and landslides.

Melissa is forecast to move across Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday, with significant storm surges and heavy rainfall expected across the region.

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Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said in a statement that the government and the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Jamaica Tourist Board and industry partners, are fully mobilized to protect visitors and tourism workers.

The Tourism Emergency Operations Centre (TEOC) has been activated to coordinate efforts with national agencies, including the National Emergency Operations Centre and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. The TEOC operates around the clock to provide real-time crisis management.

Officials say the ministry has worked with major airlines and accommodation partners to help visitors leave the island safely. Additional flights and larger aircraft have been deployed for evacuations, and emergency shelters have been prepared for those unable to depart before the storm.

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