In late October 2025, the tropical cyclone now known as Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified and headed straight for the island of Jamaica. Initially monitored on October 16 as a tropical wave, Melissa became a named storm on October 21. Over the days that followed, the system moved slowly over very warm Caribbean waters and underwent extreme rapid intensification, reaching Category 5 strength with sustained winds estimated around 160 mph (≈257 km/h) as it neared landfall.