October 30, 2025: Hurricane Melissa has cleared the Caribbean after leaving a trail of death and destruction and is now charging toward Bermuda, which is under a Hurricane Warning.

The Category 2 hurricane was located about 605 miles southwest of Bermuda early Thursday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). At 8 a.m. EDT, Melissa was packing maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour and moving north-northeast at 21 miles per hour. Its minimum central pressure was estimated at 965 millibars.

Bermudian authorities have urged residents to complete all storm preparations immediately, warning that tropical-storm-force winds could begin impacting the island later today.

Conditions are expected to worsen rapidly tonight as Melissa draws closer, bringing hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, and potentially life-threatening storm surge.

In the Caribbean, the storm’s passage was catastrophic. Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and parts of eastern Cuba were hardest hit earlier this week. In Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the situation in the southern parish of St Elizabeth as “devastating,” with the historic town of Black River almost entirely destroyed. Dozens of deaths have been confirmed across the region, and thousands of homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed.

Melissa is forecast to continue on its current track through Friday, likely remaining a strong hurricane as it nears Bermuda. The NHC has advised residents there to stay alert for official updates and to be prepared for dangerous conditions.

Further information and advisories can be found on the National Hurricane Center’s website: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov.