Cuba's Civil Defense authorities have placed the eastern side of the island on guard as Tropical Storm Melissa continues its slow, erratic journey. After a relatively calm hurricane season for Cuba in 2025, Melissa threatens to disrupt relief efforts in the crisis-hit region. Rains from the storm are expected to cause dangerous flooding in southern Haiti and Jamaica.
The precautionary watch measure is in effect for the provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, Las Tunas, and Camagüey. The current projected path sees Melissa strengthening to hurricane force by Saturday night while approaching the sea south of Jamaica. The National Hurricane Center in Miami notes that the center of Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica early next week as a major hurricane and could be near or over eastern Cuba by mid-week.
The center of Melissa is currently moving at less than 4 kph (2 mph) due to a combination of atmospheric factors, making its future path still uncertain. The latest NHC prediction sees Melissa possibly interacting with land in Jamaica sometime on Tuesday. After a relatively calm hurricane season for Cuba in 2025, Melissa threatens to be the spoiler in the much-needed relief of an island in deep crisis.
The article was published on October 24, 2025, by Circles Robinson in Havana Times, emphasizing the need to track Melissa's development.