In Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa reached wind speeds of almost 300 kilometers per hour. Melissa is a Category 5 hurricane, the highest category, which moved towards Jamaica. It was to be the strongest hurricane ever recorded over the Caribbean state. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called it a “storm of the century.” The hurricane’s consequences include flooding, uprooted trees, and households without power [1]. Half a million Jamaicans are without electricity and four large hospitals have been damaged [2]. However, the full extent of the damage is still unclear. Prime Minister Andrew Holness expects many fatalities. Due to the severe damage, Jamaica’s government has declared the region a disaster area. Hurricanes are considered particularly dangerous and destructive precisely because they move slowly [1].
Hurricanes form over warm tropical seas when several conditions coincide:
The sea water must be at least 26 °C warm so that a lot of water vapor can rise and release energy. Moist, unstable air intensifies this updraft. Low wind shear ensures that the storm is not torn apart. The Earth’s rotation (Coriolis force) causes the air to swirl. A small pressure disturbance can then develop into a powerful cyclone.
As the oceans warm due to climate change, hurricanes today often develop more quickly and become stronger [3].
[1] Hurrikan “Melissa” Süddeutsche Zeitung 2025
[2] Hurrikan Melissa verursacht schwere Schäden Jamaika die Zeit 2025
[3] Hurrikan Melissa erreicht Jamaika WDR
(image source: AI-generated)