The hurricane center said in a 5 a.m. ET advisory on Oct. 27 Melissa was located about 130 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica with maximum sustained winds near 160 mph with higher gusts. Jamaican officials have evacuated low-lying areas and opened hundreds of shelters in preparation of "life-threatening" storm conditions.

As it bears down on Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa has become the third Category 5 storm of the 2025 Atlantic season—only the second season on record to ever see more than two Category 5 hurricanes.