Atlantis Bahamas cruise ships
Photograph ©2010 by Brian Cohen.
Brian Cohen·
Weather
··7 min read

Hurricane Melissa Pounds Cuba October 2025. The Bahamas are Next.

Hurricane Melissa is not finished yet.

After tying a record of the strongest landfall in the Atlantic Basin in almost 100 years, Hurricane Melissa pounds Cuba after a second landfall as a Category 3 hurricane occurred with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour prior to sunrise earlier today, Wednesday, October 29, 2025 — and the Bahamas are next.

Hurricane Melissa Pounds Cuba October 2025. The Bahamas are Next.

a map of a hurricane
Source: National Hurricane Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States.

Maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Melissa — which is currently approximately 150 miles south of the central Bahamas and moving north northeast at a speed of 14 miles per hour — are at 105 miles per hour, which means that it is a strong Category 2 hurricane. The second landfall occurred in southeastern Cuba.

Much of Jamaica is without electrical power or telephone service. Winds have torn the roofs off of many structures; while people are trapped on the roofs of other buildings. Palm trees and other debris litter the island country. Early reports from eastern Cuba also confirm considerable widespread damage. Official confirmations of any fatalities have yet to be reported at the time this article was written.

Hurricane Melissa is currently the fourth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin; but Hurricane Patricia in 2015 holds the record for the strongest recorded hurricane in terms of wind speed with sustained winds at 215 miles per hour and a barometric pressure of 872 millibars. At 870 millibars, Typhoon Tip — which devastated the Philippines in 1979 — holds the record for the lowest barometric pressure in a recorded tropical system with sustained winds of 213 miles per hour. For comparison purposes, the current barometric pressure of Hurricane Melissa is 892 millibars.

One reason why Hurricane Melissa strengthened the way it did was because of the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea which fueled it. Normally, other tropical systems would have cooled the waters by this time in October — but hurricane season was relatively quiet this year as compared to recent years.

Because of its slow forward movement — which fortunately has sped up from as slow as two miles per hour — Hurricane Melissa inundated the southern coasts of Jamaica and Haiti with both torrential rain and a storm surge. Windy conditions — especially on the east side of the storm — only further exacerbated the situation with widespread damage.

Sangster International Airport — which serves Montego Bay in Jamaica— is currently closed due to Hurricane Melissa. In fact, all airports in Jamaica are currently closed. No date and time has yet been set as to when any of the airports will resume operations, but that will not happen anytime soon.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

  • The provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas in Cuba
  • Southeastern and Central Bahamas
  • Bermuda

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

  • Haiti
  • The province of Camaguey in Cuba
  • Turks and Caicos Islands

Substantial precipitation of up to 40 inches is possible across portions of southwestern Haiti and eastern Jamaica, which has resulted in potentially catastrophic urban flooding and flash flooding in many areas — and additional flash floods may still occur in Jamaica. Mudslides have occurred in mountainous areas. The mountains in Jamaica did little to hinder the power of Hurricane Melissa; but the island country itself did cause the hurricane to weaken to Category 3 before its second landfall in southeastern Cuba earlier today.

Rough surf and strong rip currents are currently affecting much of the coasts of Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. A dangerous storm surge of possibly as high as 13 feet above normal is expected to contribute to the aforementioned significant flooding with potentially destructive large waves.

Expect windy conditions to occur over much of Jamaica and Haiti. An isolated tornado is possible in these areas.

The Bahamas will be next later today, Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Whether a third landfall occurs depends on if the eye of the hurricane passes over one of more of the islands in the Bahamas; but the eye of Hurricane Melissa will pass through the Bahamas regardless.

Hurricane Melissa on Social Media

The following content was posted on X pertaining to Hurricane Melissa.

Flight Waivers, Delays, and Cancellations

If you are traveling to or from Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos over the next few days, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to this tropical weather system which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option — no matter which mode of travel you plan on taking.

If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary. If you are driving in any of these areas, watch out for deteriorating weather conditions and traffic problems.

Here are ten airlines which have issued travel alerts as a result of this tropical weather system:

  • American Airlines has issued travel alerts for eight airports in four countries for Saturday, October 25, 2025 through Saturday, November 1, 2025; and Tuesday, November 4, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Delta Air Lines has issued travel alerts for Kingston, Montego Bay, and Providenciales for Saturday, October 25, 2025 through Thursday, October 30, 2025; and Sunday, November 2, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • United Airlines has issued travel alerts for:
    • Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, Nassau, and Providenciales for Saturday, October 25, 2025 through Friday, October 31, 2025; and Friday, November 7, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
    • Bermuda for Thursday, October 30, 2025 through Sunday, November 2, 2025; and Sunday, November 9, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Southwest Airlines has issued travel alerts for:
    • Montego Bay for Saturday, October 25, 2025 through Saturday, November 1, 2025; and Saturday, November 15, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
    • Providenciales for Tuesday, October 28, 2025 through Saturday, November 1, 2025; and Saturday, November 15, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • JetBlue Airways has issued travel alerts for:
    • Kingston and Montego Bay for Saturday, October 25, 2025 through Friday, October 31, 2025; and Saturday, November 8, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
    • Providenciales for Tuesday, October 28, 2025 through Thursday, October 30, 2025; and Wednesday, November 5, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Spirit Airlines has issued travel alerts for Kingston and Montego Bay for Friday, October 24, 2025 through Saturday, November 8, 2025; and Saturday, November 15, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Copa Airlines has issued travel alerts for Kingston and Montego Bay for Monday, October 27, 2025 through Tuesday, October 28, 2025; and Monday, November 3, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
  • Air Canada has issued travel alerts for:
  • WestJet Airways has issued travel alerts for:
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has issued travel alerts for Kingston, Montego Bay, and Providenciales for Saturday, October 25, 2025 through Thursday, October 30, 2025; and Sunday, November 2, 2025 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.

Final Boarding Call

I wanted to check the radar for more visual details on Hurricane Melissa, as it likely has a well-defined eye…

a screenshot of a news page
Source: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the Department of Commerce of the United States.

…but the federal government of the United States is currently shut down and closed. Oh, well…

Be sure to contact your airline or transportation provider for the latest information pertaining to your travels — if they are adversely affected — and please: travel safely.

In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Jamaica and Cuba, as they have a long road ahead before life returns to normal there…

Cruise ships are docked in Nassau in the Bahamas. Photograph ©2010 by Brian Cohen.

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