Hurricane Melissa track today: eye crossed Jamaica, accelerates northeast toward eastern Cuba, the Bahamas, and near Bermuda

Hurricane Melissa’s track tightened over Jamaica today (Tuesday, Oct. 28), where the compact, violent core made a rare Category 5 landfall before beginning a gradual acceleration to the northeast. While terrain interaction is starting to shave down the peak winds, Melissa remains an extremely dangerous hurricane with life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic flooding rain, and destructive gusts spreading away from the center. The next legs of the track bring the system toward eastern Cuba tonight into Wednesday, the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas on Wednesday, and a close pass near Bermuda late week.

Where Hurricane Melissa is right now

• Current position: Moving across or just north of Jamaica after a Category 5 landfall earlier today.

• Motion: Turning northeast and picking up speed (still relatively slow but no longer stationary).

• Intensity: Down slightly from peak but still a major hurricane with a tight, destructive inner core.

• Wind field: Hurricane-force winds extend tens of miles from the center; damaging squalls are reaching well beyond the eye.

• Rainfall footprint: Extreme totals are piling up in Jamaica and will expand into eastern Cuba, southwestern Haiti and southern Dominican Republic through Wednesday.

Specific numbers (wind, pressure, exact location) are fluctuating with advisory updates; the messaging remains unchanged—conditions are extremely hazardous along and ahead of the track.

Track forecast: Jamaica to Cuba, Bahamas, then near Bermuda

• Jamaica (rest of today): The eyewall’s passage brings the highest risk of total roof failure, snapped power infrastructure, and impassable roads from fallen trees and landslides. Coastal inundation on south- and east-facing shores remains life-threatening as onshore flow piles water into bays and low-lying communities.

• Eastern Cuba (tonight–Wednesday): The core or inner wind field is likely to clip or cross parts of the eastern provinces. Expect dangerous surge where winds drive water onshore, severe flash flooding in mountainous terrain, and destructive gusts near any closest approach of the eyewall.

• Haiti & the Dominican Republic (late today–Wednesday): Outer bands will unleash torrential rain with mudslides on saturated slopes. Damaging gusts are possible in the strongest squalls even outside the core.

• Turks & Caicos and the southeast/central Bahamas (Wednesday): High likelihood of hurricane conditions, with damaging surge on low-lying islands and rapidly deteriorating seas as Melissa accelerates.

• Bermuda vicinity (Thursday–Friday): The hurricane will likely be larger but gradually weakening over cooler waters and higher shear, still capable of strong winds, heavy rain, and dangerous marine conditions during a close pass before transitioning into a powerful North Atlantic storm over the weekend.

Timing snapshot (subject to change)

Windows reflect the first arrival of dangerous winds and flooding rains; small track wobbles can shift these by several hours.

Key hazards along the Hurricane Melissa path

• Wind: The most violent winds remain packed inside a small inner core. Communities just a few miles apart can experience dramatically different outcomes depending on any short-term jog of the eye. Even with gradual weakening, destructive gusts will continue along the immediate track through Wednesday.

• Storm surge: Rapid, damaging water rises threaten south- and east-facing Jamaica coastlines today, then on onshore-facing coasts in eastern Cuba and portions of the Bahamas as the center approaches. Low-lying islands and inlets are at greatest risk.

• Rainfall and freshwater flooding: Melissa is a prolific rainmaker. Totals can reach 1–3 feet in hardest-hit zones, with locally higher amounts where bands stall—especially in Jamaica, southern Hispaniola, and eastern Cuba. Deadly flash floods and landslides are likely in steep terrain and urban areas with poor drainage.

• Marine and surf: Large, long-period swells are spreading across the northern Caribbean and western Atlantic. Life-threatening surf and rip currents will develop far from the center, including along exposed Atlantic beaches and around Bermuda later this week.

Confidence and what could change

• Track: Confidence is high in a northeastward motion through midweek. The exact path of the inner core relative to eastern Cuba and the central Bahamas remains medium confidence—tens of miles matter for who sees the worst winds and surge.

• Intensity: Confidence is medium. Interaction with land and increasing shear should gradually reduce peak winds, but the wind field is likely to expand, keeping a wide swath of dangerous weather even as the maximum winds ease.

Safety guidance at a glance

• Jamaica (now): Shelter in an interior room away from windows. Do not go out during the eye; the backside eyewall will bring a violent wind shift. Move to higher ground in surge-prone zones before peak conditions.

• Eastern Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic (today–Wednesday): Rush preparations to completion, avoid floodplains and unstable slopes, and be ready for prolonged power and communications outages.

• Bahamas & Turks and Caicos (Wednesday): Follow local directives on evacuations. Secure boats and outdoor items; conditions will deteriorate quickly as Melissa accelerates.

• Bermuda (Thursday–Friday): Prepare for strong winds, heavy rain, and hazardous seas even if the center passes to the west or east.

 The Hurricane Melissa track brings catastrophic impacts to Jamaica today, followed by a faster—but still severe—northeast run into eastern Cuba and the Bahamas on Wednesday, then a close pass near Bermuda late week. Details are evolving; stay alert to local emergency instructions.