Short on time? This story is for you. It’s an abbreviated, text view of what’s happening with Hurricane Melissa. Click here for more details.
Is there a hurricane coming toward Florida?
No. Hurricane Melissa is moving across the Caribbean but is expected to continue moving east-northeast away from Florida’s eastern coast.
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Where is Hurricane Melissa?
At 5 p.m., Melissa was crossing western Jamaica and was located about 15 miles east of Montego Bay, Jamaica.
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Where, when is Hurricane Melissa expected to make landfall?
Melissa is not expected to make landfall in Florida or the U.S. The powerful storm made landfall on the island nation of Jamaica Tuesday morning.
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How strong is Hurricane Melissa? What category is Hurricane Melissa?
At 5 p.m., Melissa has maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, with higher gusts. Melissa is a dangerously powerful Category 4 hurricane.
Hurricane Melissa is the 13th named storm, the fifth hurricane, the fourth major hurricane, the third hurricane to reach Category 5 and the most powerful hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, so far.
How big is Hurricane Melissa?
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.
Watches, warnings issued for Florida
No tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings are in effect for Florida.
What impacts will Hurricane Melissa have on Florida?
Most current models show Hurricane Melissa being picked up and being shoved to the northeast into the Atlantic.
“The timing and strength of a dip in the jet stream over the eastern United States next week will help determine the path that Melissa takes through the northern Caribbean and into the southwestern Atlantic,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. “At this time, the odds of ‘direct’ rain and wind impacts from Melissa reaching the U.S. East Coast are low.”
The east coast of Florida may see increased rip currents and rough surf over the next few days, forecasters said.
Do not focus on the cone
The cone you see from the National Hurricane Center shows a consensus based on models on where the center could be over the next several days.
Track forecasts can be off by an average of 60 to 70 miles.
Impacts also can be felt sometimes hundreds of miles from the center of the storm.
What should you do if you live in Florida?
Keep an eye on weather updates and make sure you monitor the latest forecasts and conditions associated with Melissa.
While direct impacts are not forecast in Florida, breezy conditions, rain and dangerous beach conditions are expected over the next several days.
We are in the peak of hurricane season. If you haven’t done so, make sure you and your home are ready for any storm that may approach.
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What’s next?
We will continue to update our tropical weather coverage daily.
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(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Got a minute? Here’s what to expect in Florida from Hurricane Melissa
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, Cheryl McCloud and Kim Luciani, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
