Hurricane Melissa equals 1935 Labor Day Hurricane record with 300 kph winds and 892 mb pressure upon Jamaica landfall, matching historic intensity.
KINGSTON: Hurricane Melissa has tied the record for the most intense hurricane to make landfall in 90 years.
According to an AFP analysis of US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data, Melissa matched the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane’s intensity when it battered Jamaica on Tuesday.
The Labor Day Hurricane devastated the Florida Keys with winds approaching 300 kilometers per hour and an atmospheric pressure of 892 millibars.
Melissa equalled this record combination of wind speed and atmospheric pressure.
Including typhoons and cyclones, only Tropical Storm Goni had stronger winds and lower pressure than Melissa when approaching the Philippines in 2020.
NOAA data does not specify whether Goni maintained this intensity at the exact moment of landfall.
Hurricane Patricia holds the absolute wind record at 343 kph, tied with Typhoon Nancy in 1961.
Both storms set these records in the open ocean and made landfall at lower intensity.
Typhoon Mawar in 2023 recorded more intense wind speeds and pressure than Melissa while out to sea.
Dorian struck the Bahamas in 2019 with winds comparable to Melissa but higher pressure, indicating less intensity.
Gilbert swept through Jamaica in 1988 causing 40 deaths and enormous material damage with similar winds but higher pressure.
Melissa is the fifth Category 5 tropical storm of 2025, surpassing September’s Typhoon Ragasa in intensity.
Ragasa had peak winds of 267 kph and a minimum pressure of 910 mb.
Melissa was downgraded to Category 3 after hitting Jamaica and heading towards Cuba.
Scientists say climate change is causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events worldwide. – AFP
