Photo: National Hurricane Center
Hurricane Melissa, the latest and most powerful storm of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season, is on track to hit Jamaica on Monday as a Category 5 storm.
As of 5 a.m. EST on Tuesday morning, the center of Melissa was in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, almost directly south of the western end of Jamaica. The storm was moving toward the north-northeast at just 5 mph, but that will change at some point today as the NHC expects Melissa to turn toward the northeast and pick up speed.
The center of the storm is expected to move over Jamaica today, across southeastern Cuba tomorrow morning, and then across the southeastern or central Bahamas later on Wednesday.
Currently, Melissa is a Category 5 storm, producing sustained winds of near 175 mph with even higher gusts. The NHC expects some fluctuations in intensity today before it makes landfall on Jamaica, but it should still be an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” when it hits the island and then at least hurricane strength when it hits the Bahamas tomorrow.
Ahead of Melissa’s arrival on Monday, the government of Jamaica issued a travel warning for all those coming into the island.
“All persons are urged to take the necessary precautions to ensure safety during this time,” it said.
Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) has been closed since Oct. 25, and Jamaica’s other airport, including Sangster International Airport (SIA), closed its doors earlier in the week. All flights at both those airports will be closed at least through Tuesday, and possibly longer depending on the impact Melissa has on Jamaica.
All travelers are being told to register with their embassy for country-specific guidance, and to check with their airline and hotel or resort if they are scheduled to travel to Jamaica in the near future.
Airlines started issuing waivers for those flying in, out, or through the Caribbean last week. A lot of those waivers have been extended as Melissa hovered in the Caribbean Sea over teh weekend.
American Airlines has a waiver out for travel through October. 29 through eight airports: Boscobel, Jamaica (OCJ), George Town, Bahamas (GGT), Holguin, Cuba (HOG), Kingston, Jamaica (KIN), Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ), Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (PLS), Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (SCU), and South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands (XSC).
American’s waiver is for travel scheduled through October. 29 and allows flyers to rebook for new travel through Nov. 1.
JetBlue has a waiver out for flights through both Kingston (KIN) and Montego Bay (MBJ). That waiver runs through Friday, Oct. 31, and allows flyers to rebook their flights for travel through Nov. 8 without penalty.
JetBlue has a separate waiver out for travel through Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS) that runs through the end of October. 30. Flyers can rebook their flights for travel through Nov. 5.
Southwest has a waiver out for Montego Bay (MBJ) through Oct. 30. Travelers can rebook or travel standby within 14 days of the original ticket without penalty.
United Airlines has a waiver out for flights through Montego Bay (MBJ) and Providenciales (PLS) for travel through Oct. 29. Travelers can change their flight to a new one through Nov. 5 without penalty.
United has a separate waiver out for Bermuda, BM, GB (BDA) for travel starting on Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. United is allowing travelers to change to a new flight through Nov. 9.
Carnival Cruise Line is changing itineraries on a number of ships, including Celebration, Dream, Liberty, Sunrise, and Vista. Those changes include:
Celebrity Cruises is moving Celebrity Beyond on an Oct. 26 sailing out of Miami from the Eastern Caribbean to the Western Caribbean. That ship will not call on Costa Maya, Belize City, and Roatan.
Disney Cruise Line is rerouting Disney Treasure on a Halloween sailing out of Port Canaveral to Cozumel instead of Tortola, and St. Thomas. The ship will also visit Castaway Cay a second time during the sailing.
Disney is also making a change to Disney Wish’s four-night Halloween itinerary, visiting Castaway Cay on Oct. 28 and Nassau on Oct. 29 instead of the other way around.
Royal Caribbean is moving Icon of the Seas, which is in the Caribbean on an Oct. 25, seven-night sailing from Miami, to the Western Caribbean from the Eastern Caribbean. That ship will call on Cozumel and Roatan instead of St. Maarten and St. Thomas. It will still head to Perfect Day at CocoCay, though it will now do so on Friday at 7 a.m.
Royal is also changing the current Freedom of the Seas’ sailing, skipping Grand Turk and replacing it with a call at Puerto Plata.
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The Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett announced Wednesday his plan to reopen the country in time for the winter tourism season.
Melissa remains an extremely dangerous hurricane, with winds near 115 mph.
Airlines are issuing travel waivers, and cruise lines are changing course, ahead of Melissa’s arrival in Jamaica on Monday.
As of early on Friday, the storm was stationary about 165 miles southeast of Kingston.
Melissa is expected to reach hurricane status “during the next few days.”
The heaviest impacts in the New York region are anticipated Sunday into Monday.
