Hurricane Melissa has made history as the third-most-intense Category 5 hurricanes, ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and a central pressure of 892 millibars, tying the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Melissa is now bearing down on Jamaica’s southern coast, prompting widespread alerts.
This marks the first time in 20 years that three Category 5 hurricanes have formed in a single Atlantic season — the last occurring in 2005, a year that saw a record 28 named storms. By contrast, 2025 has produced only 13 named storms, making the frequency of intense hurricanes “extraordinary,” according to FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross.
Melissa follows Hurricane Erin in August and Hurricane Humberto in September, both of which reached Category 5 intensity. The FOX Forecast Center noted that AI-driven models accurately predicted the rise in major storms this season.
Despite remaining offshore, the earlier hurricanes caused dangerous surf and flooding along the U.S. East Coast. Melissa, however, is on a direct path toward Jamaica’s western shores, posing a catastrophic threat with record-breaking winds and storm surge potential.
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