Warming oceans probably fueling Hurricane Melissa’s rapid intensification

<p>Climate scientists have long warned that warming oceans are making explosive storm development more common</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/oct/27/hurricane-melissa-jamaica-cuba-caribbean-haiti-dominican-republic-live-news-latest-updates">Hurricane Melissa live updates</a></p></li></ul><p>The extraordinary intensification of Hurricane Melissa, set to be one of the strongest storms to ever hit Jamaica, is probably a symptom of the rapid heating of the world’s oceans, scientists have said.</p><p>Melissa was a tropical storm on Saturday, before exploding in strength to a category 4 hurricane early on Sunday. The storm’s winds escalated from 70mph to 140mph in just a day, one of the fastest intensifications on record in the Atlantic Ocean.</p><p><em>The Associated Press contributed reporting</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/27/hurricane-melissa-warming-oceans-climate-crisis">Continue reading...</a>