Climate Change Supercharges Hurricane Melissa's Deadly Rampage Across Caribbean

On November 1st, 2025, the Caribbean region was devastated by the catastrophic landfall of Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm that packed winds of up to 185mph. The hurricane laid waste to anything in its path as it made its way through Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Bahamas.

Dozens of people have died and billions of dollars worth of damage has been caused by the powerful storm. However, experts warn that this may be just the beginning, as climate change is fueling the increasing frequency and severity of such extreme weather events.

A recent report found that the frequency of extreme hurricane rainfall has jumped by 300% over the last four decades. Severe hurricane rainfall that used to occur only once every 100 years is now expected to happen every 25 years. "These are no longer rare events," the report cautioned. "They will happen with greater frequency and severity. It's our new normal."

Researchers have estimated that Hurricane Melissa was 10% stronger and four times more likely to occur due to global warming. In a cooler world, a storm of this magnitude would have made landfall only once every 8,000 years, but with 1.3°C of warming, it is now expected once every 1,700 years.

The devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa has again highlighted the urgent need for international efforts to combat climate change and protect vulnerable countries from the escalating consequences.