Hurricane Melissa started as a tropical wave that originated off the west coast of Africa, later organizing across the central Atlantic into a tropical storm, and then intensifying into a hurricane in the Caribbean. The system was monitored as it moved northwest into the Caribbean Sea, where it rapidly intensified to Category 5 by October 27, 2025, after favorable environmental conditions and diminishing wind shear. The initial formation was observed around October 16, 2025, with the system becoming Tropical Storm Melissa on October 21 and reaching hurricane strength by October 25, eventually achieving Category 5 status near Jamaica and Cuba.
