Melissa to remain a major hurricane with second landfall over Cuba
Hurricane Melissa projected to make landfall in three countries while impacting four others by Friday
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Weather Highlights:
Hurricane Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, on Tuesday afternoon.
A second landfall expected in eastern Cuba Tuesday night or early Wednesday. Severe impacts include catastrophic rainfall, flash flooding, and landslides
Eastern Cuba faces rainfall totals exceeding 500 mm, with local amounts up to 635 mm, and storm surges of 2.43 to 3.65 metres or higher, threatening low-lying coastal areas near and east of landfall. That will result in flash flooding in landslides
Swells generated by Melissa will impact parts of Hispaniola, Jamaica, eastern Cuba, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and Bermuda, causing dangerous surf and rip currents in the coming days.
Hurricane Melissa continues to meander across the northern Caribbean, delivering damaging winds, catastrophic flash flooding, and life-threatening storm surge, especially in Jamaica.
The storm, which had maintained Category 5 status since 5 a.m. Monday, is the strongest recorded globally in 2025. Melissa made landfall as a dangerous and historic storm near New Hope, Jamaica, around 1 p.m. EDT on Tuesday afternoon.
Maximum, sustained winds have since dropped from 295 km/h to 230 km/h as subtle weakening is underway with land interaction, according to the 5 p.m. Tuesday update from the U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC).
A second landfall is forecast for Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning in eastern Cuba.
While slight weakening may occur due to terrain interaction, Melissa is expected to remain a strong storm near Category 4 intensity.
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Eastern Cuba faces rainfall totals exceeding 500 mm, with local amounts up to 635 mm. The likely result will be life-threatening flash flooding and widespread landslides. Storm surges of 2.43 to 3.65 metres, or higher, are predicted near and to the east of where the centre of Melissa makes landfall.
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Cuba has experienced several Category 4 and 5 hurricane landfalls since the 1950s, but none have tracked directly through the southeast as Hurricane Melissa is projected to do. Santiago de Cuba is expected to face the most significant impacts from the storm.
Hurricane conditions are expected in the southeastern and central Bahamas on Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected and hurricane conditions are possible in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday.
Hurricane conditions are possible on Bermuda Thursday and Thursday night.
The southeastern Bahamas are forecast to receive 125 mm to 250 mm of rain, causing flash flooding through Wednesday.
Swells from Hurricane Melissa are expected to impact Hispaniola, Jamaica, eastern Cuba, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Bermuda in the coming days, creating life-threatening surf and rip currents.