Article last updated: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, 8 p.m. ET

A powerful Category 5 Hurricane Melissa has begun its assault on Jamaica on Tuesday with the threat of  “catastrophic flash flooding, landslides, and destructive winds,” according to the National

Hurricane Melissa is storming on, reaching Category 5 status as of Monday, Oct. 27. The storm is expected to hit Jamaica before continuing north.

The National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. Thursday update reported that Category 2 Hurricane Melissa is in the Atlantic Ocean, 605 miles southwest of Bermuda and 295 miles northeast of the Central Bahamas. The hurricane is moving north-northeast at 21 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

Melissa is now centered off the northern coast of Jamaica after barreling ashore as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history. Follow for live updates.

Hurricane Melissa could strengthen again into a Category 5 storm Sunday night, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti

Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 2 storm, moved away from the Bahamas and toward Bermuda early Thursday after battering the Caribbean over the past few days

Rainfall. Melissa is expected to bring an additional 4 to 8 inches across Jamaica, where storm total amounts will be between 12 to 24 inches. Isolated areas near 30 inches will be possible over mountainous terrain. Ongoing catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides will continue through Tuesday night.

Search and rescue missions are underway across Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa slammed the island with 185 mph winds and massive flooding.