Alert #18 on Hurricane Melissa issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Tuesday, October 28^th, 2025, at 9 PM EDT.   

… POWERFUL MELISSA MOVING TOWARD EASTERN CUBA….

… CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS…

…FEEDER BANDS OF HURRICANE MELISSA PRESENTLY IMPACTING THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS…

… TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS, AND TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WEDNESDAY MORNING…

…THE ISLANDS SET TO RECEIVE THE STRONGEST IMPACT ARE: RAGGED ISLAND, LONG ISLAND, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, SAMANA CAY, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, AND THE MAINLAND OF EXUMA…

A Hurricane Warning is now in effect for the Central and Southeast Bahamas. This includes Exuma and its Cays, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, Long Island, San Salvador, Cat Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, Mayaguana, and Inagua.  

A Hurricane Warning means that Hurricane conditions are expected in the mentioned islands within 36 hours. 

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands

A Tropical Storm Warning means that Tropical Storm conditions are expected in the mentioned islands within 36 hours

At 8 PM EDT, the eye of Hurricane Melissa was located near latitude 18.8 degrees north and longitude 77.2 degrees west, or about 50 miles East Northeast of Montego Bay, Jamaica, 160 miles Southwest of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 250 miles Southwest of Duncan Town, Ragged Island, 295 miles Southwest of Salina Point, Acklins, 270 miles South Southwest of Matthew Town, Inagua, 380 miles South Southwest of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 370 miles South Southwest of Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana, and 425 miles South of New Providence.

Hurricane Melissa is moving toward the North-Northeast near 8 miles per hour.  A turn toward the northeast is expected later this evening, and a faster motion in that direction is expected on Wednesday and Thursday.  On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move over eastern Cuba later tonight and early Wednesday morning, and move across the Southeast or Central Bahamas later on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are now near 125 miles per hour with higher gusts. Hurricane Melissa is a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Melissa is expected to remain a powerful hurricane when it moves across Cuba and The Bahamas.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.

Residents in the Central and Southeast Bahamas (especially those islands set to receive the strongest impact), as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands, should rush to complete all preparations for possible Tropical Storm and Hurricane conditions beginning early Wednesday morning and continuing through Thursday.  Residents in the Northern and Northwest Bahamas should closely monitor Alerts issued by the Bahamas Department of Meteorology and be ready to prepare for possible Tropical Storm or Hurricane conditions.

Potential Impacts:

Hurricane Melissa, if it follows the forecast track, will bring extended periods of violent winds, heavy rain, and widespread inland and coastal flooding, along with hazardous sea conditions to the islands in the Central and Southeast Bahamas, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands, from Wednesday through Thursday. The islands expected to experience the strongest impact are Ragged Island, Long Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Samana Cay, Rum Cay, San Salvador, and the mainland of Exuma. However, the extent of the impact depends on Melissa's strength as it moves through the Central and Southeast Bahamas.

Rainfall Amount:

A total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is expected over the Southeast Bahamas through Wednesday, resulting in severe flooding in the islands. Expected rainfall totals for the Turks and Caicos Islands are approximately 1 to 3 inches

Storm Surge:

A storm surge of 5 to 8 feet above normally dry ground is possible in the Southeast Bahamas, and 2 to 4 feet in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday.

The next Alert on Hurricane Melissa will be issued at 12 MIDNIGHT EDT.

Issued by: Mary Butler