ALERT #9 ON HURRICANE MELISSA issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Monday, October 27th, 2025, at 6 PM EDT.

FILE NO: 7.6A

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 #9 ON HURRICANE MELISSA issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Monday, October 27th, 2025, at 6 PM EDT.

…CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE MELISSA IS NOW MOVING NORTHWESTWARD WHILE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS, AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS…

…TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS, ON TUESDAY, AND THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY…

…TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ON TUESDAY…

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 within 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 PM EDT, the center of Hurricane Melissa was located near latitude 16.7 degrees north and longitude 78.4 degrees west, or about 140 Southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, 420 miles South-southwest of Duncan Town, Ragged Island, 425 miles Southwest of Matthew Town, Inagua 530 miles Southwest of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 520 miles Southwest of Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana and 570 miles South of New Providence.

Hurricane Melissa is now moving toward the northwest near 3 miles per hour. A slow turn toward the north is expected later today, and a slightly faster forward speed is expected on Wednesday and Thursday. A northeastward motion 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 Southeast or Central Bahamas on Wednesday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles. 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 in 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 Southeast Bahamas. Residents in the Southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands should continue preparing for the possibility of Tropical Storm and Hurricane conditions beginning late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, and in the Central Bahamas on Wednesday 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, as well as 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 l

ate 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 across those 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 PM EDT.

Issued by: Mary Butler