Factors Contributing to Hurricane Melissa's Danger
Hurricane Melissa became a Category 5 cyclone due to abnormally warm Caribbean waters and its slow movement, resulting in a dangerous mix of relentless rain, storm surge, and wind.
According to scientists, both rapid intensification and stalling storms are increasing in a warming climate. Hurricane Melissa exemplifies this, jumping from a tropical storm with 70 mph winds to a 140 mph Category 4 within 24 hours, and further strengthening into a Category 5.
"We haven't had that many hurricanes in the Atlantic this season, but an unusual proportion of them went through a phase of intensifying quite rapidly,"
said meteorologist and climate scientist Kerry Emanuel of MIT. This season has seen four out of five Atlantic hurricanes intensify dramatically, with Hurricane Melissa being the latest example.
Experts warn that this trend may continue, with NOAA forecasting a busy hurricane season for 2025.
Author's summary: Hurricane Melissa's rapid intensification and slow movement made it a dangerous Category 5 cyclone.