Melissa, a textbook hurricane in times of climate crisis

"There is no territory that can emerge unscathed from a phenomenon of this magnitude, said Rodney Martinez, WMO representative for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The cyclone, which went from Category 1 to 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale in just 48 hours, led the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) to issue a very blunt warning as it approached Jamaica."

"For experts, Melissa is a textbook hurricane in times of climate crisis. Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters, typically with temperatures above 26.5C. This heat is the primary energy that fuels the system, which then condenses and releases the heat in the form of storms or hurricanes. When it came near Jamaica, the ocean surface was 30 degrees Celsius, even down to 100 meters deep. It was a pot of hot water, and that's fuel for hurricanes,"

"Science has proven in numerous studies that global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions worsens cyclones: it increases rainfall, slows their movement from one place to another, and increases their intensity. And although an attribution study will be needed to determine the extent to which climate change fueled Hurricane Melissa's power, experts consulted by EL PAIS have no doubt that"

Hurricane Melissa intensified from Category 1 to Category 5 within 48 hours, producing extreme impacts in Jamaica and prompting urgent warnings. Sea surface temperatures near Jamaica reached about 30°C, with anomalous warmth extending down to 100 meters, providing exceptional energy for rapid storm intensification. Hurricanes derive primary energy from warm ocean waters above roughly 26.5°C, which increases potential for stronger storms and heavier rainfall. Climate warming from greenhouse gas emissions increases cyclone rainfall, slows storm translation speeds, and raises peak intensity. An attribution study is required to quantify the precise contribution of human-caused warming to Melissa's strength.

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