726  
WTNT33 KNHC 272042  
TCPAT3  
 
BULLETIN  
HURRICANE MELISSA ADVISORY NUMBER 26  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL132025  
500 PM EDT MON OCT 27 2025  
 
...CATEGORY 5 MELISSA NOW MOVING NORTHWESTWARD WHILE WARNINGS  
ARE ISSUED FOR THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS...  
...CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE-THREATENING WINDS, FLOODING, AND STORM  
SURGE EXPECTED ON JAMAICA TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY...  
 
 
SUMMARY OF 500 PM EDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION  
----------------------------------------------  
LOCATION...16.7N 78.4W  
ABOUT 140 MI...225 KM SW OF KINGSTON JAMAICA  
ABOUT 320 MI...515 KM SW OF GUANTANAMO CUBA  
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...175 MPH...280 KM/H  
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 315 DEGREES AT 3 MPH...6 KM/H  
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...906 MB...26.76 INCHES  
 
 
WATCHES AND WARNINGS  
--------------------  
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:  
 
THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE  
WARNING FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS.  
 
THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL  
STORM WARNING FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.  
 
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:  
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...  
* JAMAICA  
* CUBAN PROVINCES OF GRANMA, SANTIAGO DE CUBA, GUANTANAMO, AND  
HOLGUIN  
* SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS  
 
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR...  
* TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS  
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...  
* HAITI  
* CUBAN PROVINCE OF LAS TUNAS  
* TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS  
 
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED  
SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. A WARNING IS TYPICALLY ISSUED  
36 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF  
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS, CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE  
PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE  
AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE COMPLETE IN JAMAICA AND RUSHED TO COMPLETION  
IN CUBA.  
 
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE  
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. A WATCH IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 48 HOURS  
BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE  
WINDS, CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR  
DANGEROUS.  
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.  
 
INTERESTS IN BERMUDA SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF MELISSA.  
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, PLEASE MONITOR  
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.  
 
 
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK  
----------------------  
AT 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), THE EYE OF HURRICANE MELISSA WAS LOCATED  
NEAR LATITUDE 16.7 NORTH, LONGITUDE 78.4 WEST. MELISSA IS NOW  
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH (6 KM/H). A SLOW TURN TOWARD  
THE NORTH IS EXPECTED THIS EVENING, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE  
NORTHEAST AND A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED ON TUESDAY. A  
NORTHEASTWARD MOTION WITH A FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CORE OF MELISSA  
IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NEAR OR OVER JAMAICA LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY,  
ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN CUBA TUESDAY NIGHT, AND ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN  
OR CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON WEDNESDAY.  
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 175 MPH (280 KM/H) WITH HIGHER  
GUSTS. MELISSA IS A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON  
HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY  
BEFORE MELISSA MAKES LANDFALL ON JAMAICA. HOWEVER, MELISSA IS  
EXPECTED TO REACH JAMAICA AND SOUTHEASTERN CUBA AS AN EXTREMELY  
POWERFUL MAJOR HURRICANE, AND WILL STILL BE AT HURRICANE STRENGTH  
WHEN IT MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS.  
 
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES (45 KM) FROM THE  
CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 195 MILES  
(315 KM). NOAA AND AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT ARE  
SCHEDULED TO INVESTIGATE MELISSA IN A FEW HOURS.  
 
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 906 MB (26.76 INCHES).  
 
 
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND  
----------------------  
KEY MESSAGES FOR MELISSA CAN BE FOUND IN THE TROPICAL CYCLONE  
DISCUSSION UNDER AWIPS HEADER MIATCDAT3 AND WMO HEADER WTNT43 KNHC.  
 
WIND: TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING IN JAMAICA, AND  
CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE-THREATENING HURRICANE-FORCE WIND CONDITIONS  
ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY. WITHIN THE  
EYEWALL, TOTAL STRUCTURAL FAILURE IS LIKELY, ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER  
ELEVATION AREAS WHERE WIND SPEEDS ATOP AND ON THE WINDWARD SIDES OF  
HILLS AND MOUNTAINS COULD BE UP TO 30 PERCENT STRONGER.  
 
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN EASTERN CUBA ON  
TUESDAY, WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE  
HURRICANE WARNING AREA BY TUESDAY EVENING. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS  
ARE EXPECTED IN HAITI LATE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.  
 
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL  
BAHAMAS ON WEDNESDAY. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE  
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON WEDNESDAY.  
 
RAINFALL: MELISSA IS EXPECTED TO BRING RAINFALL OF 15 TO 30 INCHES  
TO PORTIONS OF JAMAICA AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 6 TO 12 INCHES FOR  
SOUTHERN HISPANIOLA THROUGH WEDNESDAY, WITH STORM TOTAL LOCAL MAXIMA  
OF 40 INCHES POSSIBLE. CATASTROPHIC FLASH FLOODING AND NUMEROUS  
LANDSLIDES ARE LIKELY.  
 
FOR EASTERN CUBA, STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF 10 TO 20 INCHES, WITH  
LOCAL AMOUNTS TO 25 INCHES, IS EXPECTED BY MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY  
RESULTING IN LIFE-THREATENING AND POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC FLASH  
FLOODING WITH NUMEROUS LANDSLIDES.  
 
OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS, TOTAL RAINFALL OF 5 TO 10 INCHES IS  
EXPECTED TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY RESULTING IN AREAS OF FLASH  
FLOODING.  
 
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF FORECAST RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH  
MELISSA, PLEASE SEE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM TOTAL  
RAINFALL GRAPHIC, AVAILABLE AT  
HURRICANES.GOV/GRAPHICS_AT3.SHTML?RAINQPF  
 
STORM SURGE: A LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE IS LIKELY ALONG THE  
SOUTH COAST OF JAMAICA TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY. PEAK STORM SURGE  
HEIGHTS COULD REACH 9 TO 13 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, NEAR AND TO THE  
EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF MELISSA MAKES LANDFALL. THIS STORM SURGE  
WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES. ON THE NORTHWEST  
COAST OF JAMAICA, NEAR MONTEGO BAY, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF 1 TO  
3 FEET OF STORM SURGE ABOVE GROUND LEVEL.  
 
THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE ALONG THE SOUTHEAST  
COAST OF CUBA LATE TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY. PEAK STORM SURGE HEIGHTS  
COULD REACH 7 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS, NEAR AND TO THE  
EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF MELISSA MAKES LANDFALL. THIS STORM SURGE  
WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.  
 
STORM SURGE OF 4 TO 6 FT ABOVE NORMALLY DRY GROUND IS POSSIBLE IN  
THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON WEDNESDAY.  
 
SURF: SWELLS GENERATED BY MELISSA ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF  
HISPANIOLA, JAMAICA, EASTERN CUBA, AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS DURING THE  
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, AND THE BAHAMAS, THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS,  
AND BERMUDA LATER THIS WEEK. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE  
LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS. PLEASE CONSULT  
PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.  
 
 
NEXT ADVISORY  
-------------  
NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY AT 800 PM EDT.  
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 PM EDT.  
 
 
FORECASTER BEVEN  
 
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