Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 Storm, Nears Jamaica with Devastating Force

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is barreling toward Jamaica, with landfall expected within hours. The powerful storm is now less than 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the island’s coastline, bringing with it catastrophic winds and torrential rain.

According to reports, the hurricane is packing sustained winds of up to 175 miles per hour (282 kilometers per hour). Meteorologists warn that its strength continues to increase as it approaches land.

A report from Al Jazeera on Tuesday confirmed that the storm’s proximity poses an imminent threat to Jamaica. Satellite imagery from Zoom Earth shows the eye of Hurricane Melissa just off the southern coast, signaling that landfall could occur at any moment.

Authorities have warned that the hurricane could strike Jamaica by Tuesday morning. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has described Melissa as both “catastrophic and life-threatening.”

So far, the storm has already claimed lives across the region. Jamaica’s Ministry of Health confirmed at least three deaths as of Monday evening. In neighboring Haiti and the Dominican Republic, at least four more fatalities have been reported.

The NHC says Melissa is currently located about 233 kilometers southwest of Kingston, moving northwest at a slow pace of 6 kilometers per hour. Based on wind speeds and central pressure, it is now considered the most powerful hurricane of 2025.

According to CBS News, if Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica at its current intensity, it will be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since 1851.

Authorities across the Caribbean are urging residents to evacuate low-lying areas, secure their homes, and prepare for widespread power outages and flooding as the storm approaches.