Melissa strengthens to a Category 5 hurricane as it nears Jamaica

Clouds cover Kingston, Jamaica, ahead of the forecast arrival of Hurricane Melissa on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.

Melissa is forecast to make landfall on the island of Jamaica Tuesday, with up to 30 inches of rain and a life-threatening storm surge. Category 5 is the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

(Image credit: Matias Delacroix)