Jamaica prepares for the worst. Hurricane Melissa, which has reached category 5 (the maximum level on the Saffir-Simpson scale) is about to hit the country with frightening power. The appeals from the authorities are desperate: “Go to the shelters, stay safe. The devastation will be catastrophic.” The National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States has defined Melissa as a “potentially lethal” storm, comparing it in intensity to the disasters caused by hurricanes Maria (2017) and Katrina (2005). It is the most powerful storm on the planet in 2025 and the second most violent in the history of the Atlantic.
…EYE OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 5 MELISSA APPROACHING WESTERN JAMAICA……CATASTROPHIC WINDS, FLASH FLOODING,…
Posted by NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center on Tuesday, October 28, 2025
And this time too, the so-called “hurricane hunters” did not hold back. The Teal74 mission team, aboard one of NOAA’s special aircraft, flew over the eye of Hurricane Melissa to study its power and collect useful data. The images released are impressive:
@greenme_it Here are the incredible images captured from inside the eye of Hurricane Melissa
The cyclone, which has reached category 5, is hitting the area near Jamaica with winds of up to 270 km/h and torrential rainfall of up to 1000 mm. These spectacular shots were taken by the Teal74 mission team, aboard one of NOAA’s special aircraft and the Hurricane Hunters, which fly into hurricanes to study their power and collect data on wind, pressure and structure. Nature, once again, shows us how powerful it can be. greenme hurricanemelissa hurricane
♬ original sound – greenMe – greenMe
The hurricane, which doubled its intensity over the weekend, reached sustained winds of 280-300 kilometers per hour, accompanied by torrential rainfall of between 500 and 1000 millimetres. Along the southern coast, between Black River and Treasure Beach, waves could reach over 4 meters high. The death toll is growing by the hour: at least seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
Over one and a half million people in danger
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), over 1.5 million people could be directly affected by Melissa.
“It is an underestimate,” Necephor Mghendi, head of the delegation for the Caribbean, explained from Geneva. “The entire island risks interruptions to essential services, closed schools, blocked roads and inaccessible markets. One way or another, all Jamaicans will be affected.”
Hospitals are in “emergency mode”, while all airports have been closed.
Cuba and the Dominican Republic are also preparing for the hurricane’s passage. In Cuban territory, 120 thousand people have already been evacuated from the most exposed coastal areas. The authorities speak of “unprecedented pressure” and a “very high” risk of destructive storm surges and flooding. In the meantime, the United Nations is mobilizing to coordinate humanitarian interventions in areas where a real catastrophe is at risk.
