Hurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm due to warming oceans linked to climate change. Scientists say its wind speed doubled in less than 24 hours over the weekend. The hurricane is set to hit Jamaica on Tuesday and then move across Cuba and the Bahamas. Experts note this is the fourth Atlantic storm this year to undergo rapid intensification. Warmer ocean temperatures, driven by climate change, are making such explosive storm developments more common. The storm has already caused fatalities and damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, highlighting the urgent need for climate action.
Banner image: Children play in a street flooded by rains caused by Tropical Storm Melissa in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
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