Tropical Storms & Hurricanes

[Hoosier]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye said:

It is still strengthening.... now up to 906 mb, 175 mph

The north turn has begun.

There's really no good options left for this one.  Basically a choice between a biblical catastrophe and an "ordinary catastrophe."  An ERC would take down the max winds to some extent but expand the radius of hurricane force winds.  An epic rainfall event for much of Jamaica is a lock.  A better landfall location for Kingston would be worse for the resort areas farther west, etc.  Just no real good options.  

[Tom]

11 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

There's really no good options left for this one.  Basically a choice between a biblical catastrophe and an "ordinary catastrophe."  An ERC would take down the max winds to some extent but expand the radius of hurricane force winds.  An epic rainfall event for much of Jamaica is a lock.  A better landfall location for Kingston would be worse for the resort areas farther west, etc.  Just no real good options.  

I was thinking the same thing now that it has shifted west towards the resort areas.  What's worse???  I will say, though, the mountains could sorta negate the worst wind gusts for those resorts sitting on the NW & N side of the island.  This won't be pretty any way you look at it.  

[Hoosier]

What a specimen

 

[Andie]

They’re talking Cat 5 hitting Jamaica.  
I know these things happen and residents know it, but my God,… it’s just a lot of damage.  

[StormchaserChuck1]

Pretty incredible deepening for being so late in the year

[Jayhawker85]

Don’t look at the GFS as it’s painting another storm pulling up through the gulf mid next week 

[Hawkeye]

Melissa is down to 900 mb tonight... just a spectacular hurricane.  At least the extremely powerful core is pretty small.  The small western towns will get it much worse than Kingston in the east.

[Jayhawker85]

Melissa now has pressure around 892 MB. that is insane!  unfortunately its strengthening right before landfall in Jamaica

[Tom]

25 minutes ago, Jayhawker85 said:

Melissa now has pressure around 892 MB. that is insane!  unfortunately its strengthening right before landfall in Jamaica

What an incredible show of force from Nature and to see what can really happen with nearly a perfect scenario for explosive development.  The slow movement of this 'Cane is significant in itself causing prolonged storm surge, wind damage, rain, etc.  My goodness, I can't imagine being in the "eye" of this Beast as it makes landfall.  You would need some sort of bunker to withstand the pounding.

[Tom]

I just thought about the winds coming off the ocean and being "lifted" by the mountains and creating orographic lift.  Not to mention, but wouldn't the winds increase as well?  I sure hope there are some censors that can withstand the wind gusts to get accurate data.  This is a historic storm that will be analyzed for decades to come.

[StormchaserChuck1]

892mb and 185mph. They eye is starting to come onshore 

[Clinton]

2nd strongest ever in the Atlantic basin.  

[StormchaserChuck1]

GOES-EAST MESO1 PSeUdo-Color LOOP

[Hoosier]

My God

[Hoosier]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

I just thought about the winds coming off the ocean and being "lifted" by the mountains and creating orographic lift.  Not to mention, but wouldn't the winds increase as well?  I sure hope there are some censors that can withstand the wind gusts to get accurate data.  This is a historic storm that will be analyzed for decades to come.

Yes, elevated locations in the eyewall will probably have gusts over 200 mph, but good luck getting any measurement like that.

[Thunder98]

Never seen a forecast like this before....

 

 

[Hoosier]

1 minute ago, Thunder98 said:

Never seen a forecast like this before....

 

 

That's wild.  I've seen gusts like that (or even a little stronger) in a forecast before, but not for sustained winds.  

[Hoosier]

Historic for Jamaica and historic in general.  For the Atlantic basin, only the 1935 Labor Day hurricane made landfall with a pressure so low.

 

Hurricane Melissa Tropical Cyclone Update
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL132025
100 PM EDT Tue Oct 28 2025

...CATEGORY 5 MELISSA MAKES LANDFALL IN JAMAICA...
...ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE LANDFALLS ON RECORD IN THE 
ATLANTIC BASIN...

Melissa has made landfall in southwestern Jamaica near New Hope with 
estimated maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and an  
estimated minimum central pressure of 892 mb (26.34 inches).

[Jayhawker85]

looking at satellite now and it looks like the eye has already completely collapsed! Went from a strong eye wall to caved in in the matter of hours!

[Hoosier]

13 minutes ago, Jayhawker85 said:

looking at satellite now and it looks like the eye has already completely collapsed! Went from a strong eye wall to caved in in the matter of hours!

We are probably a minute or two away from some weenie on some weather board saying "it's falling apart!!" or "doesn't even look like a hurricane anymore!"

[Hoosier]

Eye will be moving back over the water relatively soon.  Down to a cat 4 at present.

[Andie]

Heavy floodwaters swept across southwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofs off buildings and boulders tumbled onto roads Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa came ashore as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa hit with 185 mph (295 kph) winds near New Hope, with officials cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment could be slow.

From NBC

…Thought I would add…my husband went through Hurricane Allen in 1980.
185 mph winds.  

He worked for the City of Corpus Christi’s and found himself isolated on a desk top that was about 4’ off the floor and the Gulf water was washing over his feet. 
Everyone working for the City thought they were goners.  Allen is the highest wind speed ‘cane ion record. 

[Niko]

Jamaica was inundated from Melissa. Sustain winds of 185mph battered the area and destroyed everything in its path. It did took some lives too, unfortunately. Now a Cat1 or low end 2 heading for Bermuda and then finally to Nova Scotia and by then, it will be just a very strong low pressure area, thankfully.

[Niko]

On 10/28/2025 at 10:21 AM, Clinton said:

2nd strongest ever in the Atlantic basin.  

I saw vid of the airport there in Jamaica and it is severely damaged. No flights in & out until further notice.

[Hoosier]

Melissa is now post-tropical but still has hurricane force winds.

[Jayhawker85]

37 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

Melissa is now post-tropical but still has hurricane force winds.

she sure is stubborn storm that just wont let up!

[WeatherProtogen]

4 minutes ago, Jayhawker85 said:

she sure is stubborn storm that just wont let up!

imagine it just re-intensifies by Iceland and then wreaks havoc on Europe.

[Niko]

Melissa is a beast! 

[StormchaserChuck1]

This is cool. NOAA did a flyover after the storm. I was thinking that what was reported of the damage in jamaica wasn't that bad, then I saw this:

Hurricane MELISSA Imagery

[StormchaserChuck1]

You have to imagine that at some point in the future they are going to control the weather. 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

On 11/1/2025 at 11:50 PM, StormchaserChuck1 said:

You have to imagine that at some point in the future they are going to control the weather. 

AI probably will eventually, for better or worse.

[Niko]

I think its safe to say that we are 99% done w tropical storms/depressions hitting the US as very cold air plunged all the way down south into the deep gulf. Everyone in Florida was bundled up today. 

[Tom]

Ya, I think its a good idea to put it to rest unit next year...Adios!!!

[Hoosier]

Anyone wanna take bets on the December tropical system?  

[Tom]

Melissa was a Beast and not surprised to see that she was able to deliver a record wind gust at 825 ft right before landfall...

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/hurricane-melissas-252-mph-wind-gust-sets-new-record/1836720

[jaster220]

On 11/22/2025 at 7:43 AM, Tom said:

Melissa was a Beast and not surprised to see that she was able to deliver a record wind gust at 825 ft right before landfall...

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/hurricane-melissas-252-mph-wind-gust-sets-new-record/1836720

This is the crazy one to me! In the eastern mountains vs the western ranges of all places.

[Tom]

It appears Melissa topped out at 190mph!

https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/hurricane-melissa-upgraded-to-190-mph-winds-tied-for-strongest-atlantic-hurricane/1867675

[jaster220]

On 2/26/2026 at 7:45 AM, Tom said:

It appears Melissa topped out at 190mph!

https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/hurricane-melissa-upgraded-to-190-mph-winds-tied-for-strongest-atlantic-hurricane/1867675

Epic photo:

Hadn't heard about 1.25 million animals killed - tragic and sad that they couldn't find some kind of shelter! 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

No surprise that Melissa was retired, and will be replaced with Molly in 2031.