Hurricane Melissa’s explosive growth into a Category 5 storm highlights how climate change is intensifying tropical cyclones around the world. Scientists say the record-warm Caribbean waters—supercharged by rising global temperatures—acted like fuel, allowing Melissa to rapidly strengthen into a catastrophic hurricane. Warmer oceans provide more energy and moisture to storms, leading to higher wind speeds and heavier rainfall, while rising sea levels worsen storm surge and flooding impacts. Experts warn that as the planet continues to heat up, hurricanes like Melissa are likely to become more frequent, more destructive, and harder to predict, making climate adaptation and emission reductions more urgent than ever.

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