Climate change boosted Hurricane Melissa's destructive winds and rain, analysis finds
Human-caused climate change boosted the destructive winds and rain unleashed by Hurricane Melissa and increased the temperatures and humidity that fueled the storm, according to an analysis released Thursday.
Melissa was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall and brought destructive weather to Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba, causing dozens of deaths across the Caribbean. Roofs were torn off of homes, hospitals were damaged, roads were blocked by landslides and crop fields were ruined.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm%96 C2A:5 2?2=JD:D 3J (@C=5 (62E96C pEEC:3FE:@? 7@F?5 E92E 4=:>2E6 492?86 :?4C62D65 |6=:DD2’D >2I:>F> H:?5 DA665D 3J fT 2?5 >256 E96 C2:?72== `eT >@C6 :?E6?D6] %96 D4:6?E:DED 2=D@ HC@E6 E92E E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 2?5 9F>:5:EJ :? H9:49 E96 DE@C> :?E6?D:7:65 H6C6 >256 D:I E:>6D >@C6 =:<6=J 5F6 E@ 4=:>2E6 492?86 4@>A2C65 E@ 2 AC6\:?5FDEC:2= H@C=5]k^Am
kAm#2A:5 2EEC:3FE:@? 2?2=JD6D 2C6 2 EJA6 @7 C6D62C49 E92E DEF5J 724E@CD :?7=F6?4:?8 2? 6IEC6>6 H62E96C 6G6?E 2?5 6IA=@C6 H92E E96 6G6?E H@F=5 92G6 366? =:<6 :? 2 H@C=5 H:E9@FE 4=:>2E6 492?86] %96J 2C6 EJA:42==J AF3=:D965 52JD @C H66<D 27E6C 2? 6IEC6>6 H62E96C 6G6?E]k^Am
kAm|6=:DD2 D=@H=J EC24<65 24C@DD E96 C68:@? 2?5 5C6H :? 6?@C>@FD 2>@F?ED @7 6?6C8J 7C@> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H2C>:?8\@462?D\4=:>2E6\492?86\9FCC:42?6\>6=:DD2\:?E6?D:EJ\4f5c__bedfc6ff6b6`_g6a_3a`b3`_7hQm23?@C>2==J H2C> @462? H2E6Ck^2m] %96 2?2=JD:D C6A@CE65 @462? E6>A6C2EFC6D :? |6=:DD2’D A2E9 E9C@F89 E96 r2C:3362? H6C6 23@FE `]c°r Wa]d°uX H2C>6C 4@>A2C65 E@ 2 AC6\:?5FDEC:2= 4=:>2E6]k^Am
kAm“(2C>6C @462? E6>A6C2EFC6D 2C6 67764E:G6=J E96 6?8:?6 E92E 5C:G6D 2 9FCC:42?6 … E96 H2C>6C E96 @462? E6>A6C2EFC6D[ E96 8C62E6C E96 H:?5 DA665 2 9FCC:42?6 42? 92G6[” D2:5 %96@5@C6 z66A:?8[ 2 4=:>2E6 D4:6?E:DE H9@ H@C<D 7@C ((p 2?5 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E96 2?2=JD:D]k^Am
kAm|6=:DD2 :D E96 7@FCE9 DE@C> :? E96 pE=2?E:4 E9:D J62C E@ F?56C8@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H2C>:?8\@462?D\4=:>2E6\492?86\9FCC:42?6\>6=:DD2\:?E6?D:EJ\4f5c__bedfc6ff6b6`_g6a_3a`b3`_7hQmC2A:5 :?E6?D:7:42E:@?k^2m[ H9:49 :D H96? 2 EC@A:42= 4J4=@?6’D >2I:>F> DFDE2:?65 H:?5D :?4C62D6 3J 2E =62DE b_ <?@ED W23@FE bd >A9 @C de <A9X :? ac 9@FCD]k^Am
kAm“p 9FCC:42?6 E9:D C2C6 H@F=5 24EF2==J 92G6 925 H:?5 DA665D 23@FE `_ >A9 W`e <A9X =6DD 6IEC6>6” :? 2 AC6\:?5FDEC:2= 4=:>2E6[ D2:5 z66A:?8] w6 D2:5 C6D62C49 =:?<D 9FCC:42?6 H:?5 DA665D E@ 64@?@>:4 52>286 2?5 E96C6 H@F=5 92G6 366? =6DD 56DECF4E:@? 42FD65 3J |6=:DD2 :7 E96 H:?5D H6C6 D=@H6C]k^Am
kAm$4:6?E:DED 92G6 =:?<65 C2A:5 :?E6?D:7:42E:@? @7 9FCC:42?6D :? E96 pE=2?E:4 E@ 9F>2?\42FD65 4=:>2E6 492?86] !=2?6E\H2C>:?8 82D6D C6=62D65 3J 9F>2?D[ DF49 2D 42C3@? 5:@I:56[ 42FD6 E96 2E>@DA96C6 E@ 9@=5 >@C6 H2E6C G2A@C 2?5 :?4C62D6 @462? E6>A6C2EFC6D] (2C>6C @462?D 8:G6 9FCC:42?6D 7F6= E@ F?=62D9 >@C6 C2:? 2?5 DEC6?8E96? >@C6 BF:4<=J]k^Am
kAm“xE’D =:<6 32D:42==J E2<:?8 2 DA@?86 2?5 HC:?8:?8 :E @FE[ 2?5 4=:>2E6 492?86 :D >2<:?8 E92E DA@?86 6G6? =2C86C[” D2:5 qC:2? %2?8[ 2 AC@76DD@C @7 2E>@DA96C:4 D4:6?46 2E &?:G6CD:EJ 2E p=32?J]k^Am
kAm%2?8[ H9@ H2D ?@E :?G@=G65 :? E96 ((p C6D62C49[ D2:5 E96 >6E9@5@=@8J @7 E96 DEF5J C6=62D65 %9FCD52J D66>D C@3FDE[ 2?5 @?6 @7 E96 >@C6 ?@G6= 2DA64ED @7 E96 2?2=JD:D H2D E96 4@??64E:@? E96 D4:6?E:DED 5C6H 36EH66? H:?5 DA665D 2?5 :?4C62D6 :? 52>286[ H9:49 96 D2:5 :D 2 492==6?8:?8 2C62 @7 C6D62C49]k^Am
kAmp?5C6H s6DD=6C[ AC@76DD@C @7 2E>@DA96C:4 D4:6?46D 2E %6I2D pU2>Aj| &?:G6CD:EJ[ H9@ H2D ?@E :?G@=G65 :? E96 ((p C6D62C49[ D2:5 E96 7:?5:?8D @7 E96 C2A:5 2?2=JD:D 2C6 :? =:?6 H:E9 6I:DE:?8 C6D62C49 23@FE 4=:>2E6 492?86 2?5 EC@A:42= DE@C>D :? E96 pE=2?E:4] “%9:D :D 4@>A=6E6=J 4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 @FC 6IA64E2E:@? @7 H92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6? :? E96 7FEFC6[” s6DD=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm#2A:5 2EEC:3FE:@? 2?2=JD6D 96=A 7:== E96 ?665 7@C 2? 6IA=2?2E:@? 23@FE E96 :?7=F6?46 @7 4=:>2E6 492?86 D9@CE=J 27E6C 2 42E2DEC@A9:4 H62E96C 6G6?E @44FCD[ D2:5 s6DD=6C] w6 D2:5 DF49 2?2=JD6D 2C6 “G6CJ G2=F23=6 2D 2 BF:4< =@@<” 367@C6 E96 D4:6?E:DED 2C6 23=6 E@ 5@ >@C6 E:>6\4@?DF>:?8 42=4F=2E:@?D]k^Am
kAms6DD=6C D2:5 @?6 @7 E96 D42C:6DE 2DA64ED @7 |6=:DD2 H2D E96 DE@C>VD A62< DFDE2:?65 H:?5D @7 `gd >A9 Wahg <A9X H:?5D] “%92E’D AC6EEJ C2C6 E@ 92G6 2 DE@C> E92E DEC@?8] p?5 x E9:?< E92E[ E@ E96 6IE6?E E92E E9:D :D 2 92C3:?86C @7 E96 7FEFC6[ :E’D ?@E 8@@5[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm%96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD’ 4=:>2E6 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@G6C286 C646:G6D 7:?2?4:2= DFAA@CE 7C@> >F=E:A=6 AC:G2E6 7@F?52E:@?D] p! :D D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 2== 4@?E6?E] u:?5 p!’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^23@FE^DE2?52C5D\7@C\H@C<:?8\H:E9\@FED:56\8C@FAD^QmDE2?52C5Dk^2m 7@C H@C<:?8 H:E9 A9:=2?E9C@A:6D[ 2 =:DE @7 DFAA@CE6CD 2?5 7F?565 4@G6C286 2C62D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^5:D4@G6C^$FAA@CE:?8\p!Qmp!]@C8k^2m]k^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.