Hurricane Melissa: Catastrophic Category 5 Storm Slams Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa Makes Landfall

• 🌀 Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, made landfall in New Hope, Jamaica with 185 mph winds.
• ⚠️ It is now considered one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record, tying for the second strongest to make landfall.
• 📉 The storm has weakened to a Category 4 after interacting with land, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph.

Impact on Jamaica

• 💨 Western and northwestern Jamaica, including Montego Bay, are experiencing severe impacts from the eyewall, with hurricane-force wind gusts up to 85 mph.
• 🌧️ Heavy rainfall and storm surge are significant concerns along the south and northwest coasts.
• ⚡ Kingston has reported tropical storm-force wind gusts of 48 mph.

Storm's Path and Future Intensity

• ➡️ Melissa is moving north-northeast at 8 mph, with its core expected to move off Jamaica's north coast.
• 🌊 Once over water, it is expected to maintain Category 4 status as it approaches Cuba.
• 🇨🇺 Eastern Cuba is under a hurricane warning, with hurricane-force wind gusts expected in Santiago de Cuba.
• 🇧🇸 The storm is projected to head towards the southeastern Bahamas as a Category 3 major hurricane.
• 🇧🇲 By Thursday evening, it is forecast to reach Bermuda as a Category 2 hurricane.

Hurricane Mechanics and Record Intensity

• 📈 The storm's pressure has risen to 921 millibars, indicating it is not as strong as its peak.
• 🧭 Hurricanes do not move in straight lines; they can zigzag and wobble, especially when strong, due to convection and frictional effects of land.
• 🎯 The corridor of catastrophic winds is relatively narrow, with New Hope, Jamaica being ground zero for the worst impacts.
• 📊 This storm ranks as the third strongest Atlantic hurricane in terms of pressure and ties for the strongest winds at landfall, comparable to Dorian (2019) and the Labor Day hurricane.