Hurricane Melissa Tracker Live: Catastrophic Category 5 Hammers Jamaica, Points Toward Cuba, Bahamas

Hurricane Melissa is a life-threatening, high-end Category 5 storm today (Tuesday, October 28), with the eye crossing western Jamaica and the core delivering destructive winds, catastrophic flooding, and extreme storm surge. The cyclone will then angle north-northeast toward southeastern Cuba tonight into Wednesday and sweep through parts of the central and northwest Bahamas midweek before accelerating over the open Atlantic late week. This is a rapidly evolving, high-impact situation; details may change with new advisories.

Live tracker: position, intensity, motion

• Status: Category 5 major hurricane

• Location: Crossing western Jamaica; hurricane conditions expanding well beyond the center

• Max sustained winds: 180–185 mph (gusts higher)

• Movement: NNE ~5–10 mph (slow, prolonging hazards)

• Minimum pressure: ~905–910 mb

• Wind field: Hurricane-force winds extend far from the eye; tropical-storm conditions reach much farther

What this means right now: Slow forward speed plus a large wind field equals long-duration extreme impacts—especially surge and flooding on Jamaica’s south and west coasts and in mountainous terrain.

Watches, warnings, and hazard highlights

• Jamaica: Catastrophic wind damage, 9–13 ft surge on vulnerable south-facing coasts, and 15–30+ inches of rain with localized 40 inches in higher terrain. Life-threatening flash flooding and landslides are likely.

• Southeastern Cuba (tonight–Wednesday): Widespread damaging winds, 7–11 ft surge on exposed shores, 8–20+ inches of rain with mudslide risk.

• Bahamas/Turks & Caicos (Wednesday–Thursday): Hurricane-force gusts in the corridor of Melissa’s path, 4–6 ft surge in surge-prone areas, 5–10 inches of rain, locally higher.

• Bermuda (late week): Increasing surf, strong winds and heavy rain possible depending on the exact track and speed of Melissa’s northeast turn.

Timing snapshot (subject to change)

Note: Local authorities may adjust curfews, evacuation zones, and shelter locations as conditions evolve.

Why Hurricane Melissa is so dangerous

1. Size: The expansive wind field spreads destructive gusts far from the eye; locations well outside the center still face major damage.

2. Speed: The storm’s slow crawl dramatically increases the duration of hurricane conditions and rainfall totals, amplifying surge residence time and flood/landslide risk.

3. Terrain interaction: Jamaica’s mountains wring out moisture, driving extreme runoff and debris flows that continue after the core passes.

Track forecast and scenarios

• Base case: Melissa tracks NNE across/near western and central Jamaica, scrapes southeastern Cuba, then passes near parts of the Bahamas midweek. A trough then accelerates the hurricane northeast into the open Atlantic late week.

• Intensity: Some weakening is possible after prolonged land interaction and rising shear, but Melissa remains dangerous and large, with hazards extending well beyond the center.

• Spread: Small wobbles in the eye’s angle over Jamaica and into Cuba/Bahamas will shift where the worst surge and core winds occur; monitor updates closely.

Safety checklist (immediate actions)

• Surge & coastal flooding: If you are in a surge-prone zone in Jamaica’s south/west, relocate to higher ground before peak tides. Avoid all coastal roads.

• Shelter from wind: Stay on a low, interior level away from windows. Do not go outside during an eye passage—violent winds return rapidly from the opposite direction.

• Flood vigilance: Never drive through floodwaters. Watch for landslides near steep terrain and along normally dry channels.

• Power & comms: Expect prolonged outages. Conserve batteries; use text/low-data messages. Keep devices in low-power mode.

• After the eye: Treat all downed lines as live; avoid wading in floodwater due to debris and contamination.

Live tracker notes for the next 6–24 hours

• Jamaica: Eyewall training and onshore flow could push surge above prior marks at vulnerable inlets; rainfall bands will continue to pivot across the same areas.

• Cuba approach: The angle and speed into Guantánamo–Santiago de Cuba–Granma provinces will dictate surge reach and wind maxima late tonight.

• Bahamas corridor: Preparations should be completed as squalls arrive Wednesday; even a glancing pass yields dangerous seas and pockets of hurricane-force gusts.

• Marine hazards: Long-period swells and very high seas are expanding across the western and central Caribbean and will propagate into the southwest Atlantic shipping lanes.

Recent updates confirm Melissa’s landfall intensity and its extremely slow progression across Jamaica; details may evolve as new aircraft data and radar trends arrive. Keep monitoring official local alerts for evacuation orders, curfews, and the latest track/intensity guidance.