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3h ago

NHC Upgrades Hurricane Melissa to 190 mph, Tying Atlantic Wind Record

A post‑season review raises the storm’s peak intensity based on new analysis of reconnaissance measurements.

IN SPACE, CARIBBEAN SEA - OCTOBER 27: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) In this handout satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Melissa churns northwest through the Caribbean Sea captured at 17:00Z on October 27, 2025. Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 5 storm as it approaches Jamaica, according to the National Hurricane Center. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Melissa’s post‑landfall maximum sustained winds were increased from 185 mph to 190 mph in the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Cyclone Report released on Feb. 25.
  • The upgrade ties 1980’s Hurricane Allen for the strongest sustained winds ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.
  • The NHC consolidated a regional death toll of at least 95 across the Caribbean, including at least 45 fatalities in Jamaica.
  • NOAA Hurricane Hunters documented a 252 mph wind gust inside the storm via dropsonde, a record for that instrument and distinct from sustained winds.
  • Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 on Oct. 28, causing catastrophic damage; it is the strongest and costliest hurricane to strike the country, with recovery efforts continuing across affected islands.