ALERT #13 ON HURRICANE MELISSA issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Tuesday, October 28th , 2025, at 6am EDT.
BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY
FORECAST OFFICE SECTION
Telephone: 377-7178 / 377-7040
Fax No. 377-5275
Nassau, Bahamas
Website: https://met.gov.bs
Email: meteo@batelnet.bs
ALERT #13 ON HURRICANE MELISSA issued by The Bahamas Department of
Meteorology, Tuesday, October 28th
, 2025, at 6am EDT.
…CONDITIONS DETERIORATING ON JAMAICA AS EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS CATEGORY 5 MELISSA SLOWLY APPROACHES …
…CATASTROPHIC WINDS, FLASH FLOODING AND STORM SURGE
EXPECTED ON THE ISLAND TODAY…
TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN
THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND
THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS EARLY WEDNESDAY
MORNING…
A Hurricane Warning is now in effect for the Central and Southeast Bahamas.
This includes Exuma and its Cays, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, Long Island, San
Salvador, Cat Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, Mayaguana, Inagua,
and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A Hurricane Warning means that Hurricane conditions are expected in the
mentioned islands within 36 hours.
A Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are in effect for the Turks
and Caicos Islands
A Tropical Storm Warning means that Tropical Storm conditions are expected
in the mentioned islands within 36 hours
A Hurricane Watch means that Hurricane conditions could be experienced
within the mentioned islands within 48 hours.
At 5 AM EDT, the center of Hurricane Melissa was located near latitude 17.2
degrees north and longitude 78.3 degrees west, or about 115 West-Southwest of
Kingston, Jamaica, 385 miles South-Southwest of Duncan Town, Ragged
Island, 390 miles Southwest of Matthew Town, Inagua, 500 miles Southwest of
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 500 miles Southwest of Abraham’s
Bay, Mayaguana and 550 miles South of New Providence.
Hurricane Melissa is moving toward the North-Northeast near 5 miles per hour. A
turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected later today,
followed by a faster northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday. On the
forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move over Jamaica on today, across
Southeastern Cuba Wednesday morning, and across the Southeast or Central
Bahamas later on Wednesday.FILE NO: 7.6A
Maximum sustained winds are near 175 miles per hour 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 later
today. However, Melissa is expected to reach Jamaica and southeastern Cuba as an
extremely dangerous major hurricane and it will still be at hurricane strength when
it moves across the Southeast Bahamas.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center, and tropical-
storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.
Residents in the Central and Southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands
should rush to complete all preparation for Tropical Storm and possible Hurricane
conditions beginning early Wednesday morning through Thursday. Residents in the
Northern and Northwest Bahamas should closely monitor Alerts issued by the
Bahamas Department of Meteorology and be ready to prepare for possible Tropical
Storm or Hurricane conditions in the next few days.
Potential Impacts:
Hurricane Melissa, should it continue to move along the forecast track, will bring
prolonged periods of strong winds, heavy rainfall, and coastal inundation to the
islands in the Central and Southeast Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands,
beginning Tuesday through Thursday. However, the magnitude of potential impacts
depends on the intensity of Melissa as it moves through the Central and Southeast
Bahamas.
Melissa is forecast to interact with major mountainous landmarks, such as those in
Jamaica and Cuba or Hispaniola, which could potentially weaken the system slightly
as it nears the Southeast and Central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos late Tuesday
and Wednesday.
Rainfall Amount:
A total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is expected over the Southeast Bahamas on
Tuesday and into Wednesday, resulting in severe flooding in the islands.
Storm Surge:
Storm surge of 4 to 6 feet above normally dry ground is possible in the Southeast
Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday.
The next Alert on Hurricane Melissa will be issued at 9 AM EDT.
Issued by: Jeffrey Simmons