Hurricane Melissa downgraded to Category 3, set to hit Cuba next

A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025. Ferocious winds and torrential rain tore into Jamaica Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa made landfall, the worst storm ever to strike the island nation and one of the most powerful hurricanes on record. The extremely violent Category 5 system was still crawling across the Caribbean, promising catastrophic floods and life-threatening conditions as maximum sustained winds reached a staggering 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour). (Photo by Ricardo Makyn / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)
A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025. Ferocious winds and torrential rain tore into Jamaica Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa made landfall, the worst storm ever to strike the island nation and one of the most powerful hurricanes on record. (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Staff Sophia Flores 
6:23 PM – Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Despite weakening from a Category 5 hurricane to a Category 3, Hurricane Melissa is still poised to unleash catastrophic rain and winds on Cuba as it continues on its deadly path.

Hurricane Melissa, dubbed “the storm of the century,” is set to hit Cuba at approximately 11pm ET. The country is expected to see between 20 to 30 inches of rainfall, 130-140 mph winds and up to 12 feet of storm surge.

Despite the hurricane moving closer to Cuba, parts of it are still hitting Jamaica. Close to 15,000 Jamaicans are currently in emergency shelters and more than 500,000 individuals on the island are without power.

OAN Staff Sophia Flores 
7:51 PM – Monday, October 27, 2025

The world’s strongest storm this year is set to bring up to 175 mph winds and as much as 40 inches of rain to Jamaica.

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The Category 5 storm, which is set to be the worst in Jamaican history, is likely to have “catastrophic impacts” and will bring “dire consequences” to the Caribbean as there are more than 25 million people across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti who are in the direct path of Hurricane Melissa.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness believes that his country is not prepared for the incoming hurricane as he said he doesn’t believe there is “any infrastructure within this region that could withstand a Category 5 storm, so there could be significant dislocation.”

Despite most models forecasting a direct hit on the Island, he called on the public for prayers that it will not strike directly.

“I urge all Jamaicans and people who are friendly well-wishers of Jamaica to continue to pray that this hurricane does not hit us directly” Holness stated.

In preparation for the storm, which is believed to first contact the Island nation on Tuesday morning, Jamaica closed the two main airports on the island.  

“Passengers, contact your airline for rebooking. DO NOT go to the airport,” Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston warned flyers.

Several vulnerable communities across the Island are under immediate evacuation orders and officials urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to seek shelter in safer areas.

Additionally, the island’s government has opened more than 650 shelters across the country to help those in need.

In Cuba, nearly 120,000 people have been evacuated from Santiago de Cuba, according to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

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