Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, near the town of New Hope on the southwestern coast, as a Category 5 hurricane with reported sustained winds around 185 mph (295 km/h) and an extremely low central pressure. This set of events marked Jamaica as experiencing one of the strongest landfalls on record in recent years.
Key details and context
- Timing: Landfall occurred in the late morning to early afternoon local time on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, with warnings and evacuations already in progress across Jamaica due to the storm’s rapid intensification and immense wind field.
- Intensity: Melissa reached Category 5 status at or near landfall, making it the strongest hurricane to strike Jamaica in the modern era, with winds around 185 mph and a central pressure near 892 mb in the reported observations.
- Impacts: Expect catastrophic wind damage, extreme rainfall leading to flash flooding and landslides, and dangerous storm surge, with authorities advising continued sheltering and adherence to official guidance as the storm continues to move across Jamaica and toward Cuba and the Bahamas.
- Geography of landfall: The eye’s closest approach was near New Hope in Jamaica’s southwest, but hazardous conditions began well before the exact landfall moment and persisted long after due to the storm’s slow movement.
What happened after landfall
- The hurricane’s slow forward motion means damaging winds, heavy rain, and dangerous storm surge affected a broad area for an extended period, complicating initial rescue and recovery efforts.
- The system was forecast to continue into eastern Cuba after crossing Jamaica, with authorities preparing evacuations and disaster responses in affected regions.
If you’d like, I can provide a concise timeline of Melissa’s path, impacts by each location, and up-to-date safety guidance from official sources.
