Melissa could become a Category 5 hurricane. If that wasn't enough, flooding and landslides could be widespread from Hispaniola to Jamaica and Cuba. Here's the very latest forecast.

Article last updated: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, 2 p.m. ET

Jamaica's central location in the Caribbean, the island has never recorded a direct landfall from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, according to records from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dating back to 1850.

Melissa is the fifth hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, joining Erin, Gabrielle, Humberto and Imelda.

Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane this weekend as it lashes Jamaica and parts of the northern Caribbean, bringing days of life-threatening, potentially catastrophic impacts.

Tropical Storm Melissa, responsible for multiple fatalities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, is nearing hurricane strength, sparking concerns over severe flooding, powerful storm surges, and extensive wind damage in Jamaica and surrounding regions.

According to the hurricane center, Melissa has a significant possibility of making landfall on Jamaica as a major hurricane and could maintain major hurricane strength when it reaches eastern Cuba. Forecasters say Melissa poses little to no risk for Florida and the U.S. at this time.

An intensifying Melissa is expected to bring destructive flooding to Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic before tracking toward Cuba next week.