Hurricane Melissa, now a Category Five tropical cyclone, has made landfall in Jamaica. It is the strongest storm to hit the island country in at least 150 years and the most powerful recorded anywhere in 2025. It has caused severe flooding and mass evacuations across Jamaica and along the storm’s projected path, which includes Cuba and the Bahamas. 

McGill experts are available to comment on this topic: 

Robert Fjaber is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and is affiliated with the Brace Water Centre. He can speak about how climate change may have influenced the development and intensity of Hurricane Melissa, as well as how a warming climate could affect future storms. 

robert.fajber [at] mcgill.ca (English) 

John Gyakum is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. He is an expert on extreme weather systems and large-scale atmospheric dynamics. He is available to discuss extreme weather events and natural disasters in the context of climate variability and long-term climate patterns. 

john.gyakum [at] mcgill.ca (English)