On Sunday, October 26, 2025, in its latest bulletin on Cat 1 Hurricane Melissa https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46068-haiti-flash-melissa-has-become-a-hurricane-2-departments-in-the-red-the-human-toll-is-rising-video.html at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (0900 UTC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that Melissa has now become a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 220 km/h (minimum central pressure of 944 millibars).

The center of Tropical Storm Melissa was located at 16.3 degrees North latitude and 76.3 degrees West longitude, 487 km southwest of Port-au-Prince. A slow westward movement is expected today, followed by a north and northeastward turn on Monday and Tuesday.

A slow west-northwest to westward movement (7 km/h) is expected this Saturday through Sunday evening. On the forecast track, the center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica through Tuesday, crossing southeastern Cuba overnight Tuesday, and the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday, October 29.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the southwest peninsula of Haiti, from the Dominican Republic border to Port-au-Prince. Consequently, the Haitian Hydrometeorological Unit (UHM), in conjunction with the General Directorate of Civil Protection and the Permanent Secretariat for Risk Management, has placed the Sud and Grande Anse departments on red alert. The South-East, Nippes, West, and central plateau departments remain on orange alert.

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. The warning is typically issued 36 hours before the first anticipated occurrence of tropical storm-force winds, conditions that make outdoor preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect lives and property should be completed.

Melissa is expected to produce heavy rainfall through Tuesday, ranging from 15 inches (38 cm) to 30 inches (76 cm) in parts of southern Hispaniola, with locally higher amounts of up to 35 inches (89 cm) on the Tiburon Peninsula in Haiti.

In Haiti, catastrophic and potentially fatal flash flooding and landslides are expected in southwestern Haiti through midweek, likely causing significant damage to infrastructure and buildings and isolating communities for an extended period. Additional heavy rainfall is likely beyond Wednesday, but uncertainty about Melissa's track and speed reduces confidence in estimating exact additional rainfall amounts.

Satellite imagery indicates that maximum sustained winds have rapidly increased to near 220 km/h (140 mph) with higher gusts. Melissa is a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Continued rapid intensification is expected through this evening, followed by fluctuations in intensity. Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica Monday night and in southeastern Cuba late Tuesday. Although winds are temporarily decreasing on the Tiburon Peninsula, they could increase again over much of western Haiti Monday night into Tuesday.

Hurricane-force winds extend up to 35 km from the center of Melissa, and tropical storm-force winds extend up to 280 km from the center.

Swells generated by Melissa are expected to affect portions of the coasts of Hispaniola, Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and the Cayman Islands over the next few days. These swells are likely to cause potentially life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult your local weather office for forecasts.

The Haitian Maritime and Navigation Service (SEMANAH) has prohibited all coastal shipping activities on Haiti's southern coastal area until further notice due to high swells.

Civil Protection Advice :

The Departmental Directorate of Civil Protection calls on the entire population of the affected departments to remain vigilant during this period, as there may be flooding. The Directorate asks the population not to cross any watercourses under any circumstances, not to tie up animals where the water could carry them away, not to stand on hills and bridges to observe flowing water, not to shelter from the rain under trees, not to go barefoot in the rain, and not to touch any electrically conductive objects during a storm. Store your important documents in a safe place to prevent them from getting wet. Remember to keep an eye on people in need of assistance so that they can move if necessary. Remain calm and listen to Civil Protection messages from reliable sources.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46067-haiti-hurricane-melissa-2-departments-on-red-alert.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46053-haiti-flash-melissa-promises-to-be-devastating-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46046-haiti-flash-melissa-risks-becoming-a-hurricane-5-departments-on-orange-alert.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46039-haiti-flash-storm-melissa-threatens-haiti-5-departments-on-yellow-alert.html

SL/ HaitiLibre