190 MPH: Hurricane Melissa Now Tied for Strongest Atlantic Hurricane on Record
Post-season analysis shows hurricane melissa reached a peak intensity of 190 mph, a revision that ties the storm with Hurricane Allen for the highest maximum sustained winds ever recorded in the Atlantic basin — a change that retroactively raises the storm’s place in the historical record.
How the storm’s peak was revised
Officials concluded that the storm’s peak intensity reached 190 mph, up from an earlier estimate of 185 mph. During the storm, satellite data and instruments aboard Hurricane Hunter aircraft suggested winds may have reached 190 mph; that figure was confirmed by the National Hurricane Center on Wednesday. The NHC’s post-season review flagged the change after the additional data were examined.
Hurricane Melissa ties an all-time wind speed record
The 190 mph confirmation ties Hurricane Melissa with Hurricane Allen from 1980 for the highest maximum sustained wind speed recorded in the Atlantic basin. Last October, Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds previously assessed at 185 mph, a level that at the time tied Hurricane Dorian and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 for strongest hurricane landfalls in the basin.
Wind gusts and pressure ranking
Late last year it was confirmed that Melissa produced the strongest wind gust ever recorded in a tropical cyclone: a 252 mph gust. From a pressure perspective, Melissa is tied for the third most intense hurricane on record, a separate ranking that the post-season analysis also addressed.
Impact on Jamaica and measured landfall intensities
The storm made landfall on western Jamaica in late October 2025, with the post-season review finding sustained landfall winds of 160 kt. The NHC’s review also noted Melissa reached 165 kt (190 mph) just before landfall on Jamaica. The storm brought devastating impacts to the island and later claimed the lives of 95 people.
What the data show and how it changed the narrative
Routine post-season analysis — including the re-examination of satellite records and aircraft measurements — led to the upward revision from 185 mph to 190 mph. That upward revision moved Melissa from a storm that matched the strongest recorded landfall winds, to one that shares the record for highest maximum sustained winds in the Atlantic basin.
Context from reporting and other notes
Initial coverage of the event placed Melissa among the most powerful storms to strike Jamaica; the post-season findings have now added to the storm’s historical significance. In one available web note, a site displayed a "browser not supported" message. Jonathan Kegges joined the station team in June 2019 and covers weather on television and digital platforms (unclear in the provided context whether he authored all relevant coverage).
The revision affects how Melissa is ranked against historical storms: Melissa now shares the 190 mph maximum sustained wind mark with Hurricane Allen, and its landfall winds continue to tie it with Hurricane Dorian and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 for the strongest recorded landfalls in the Atlantic basin.
Next steps are unclear in the provided context; the post-season analysis that produced the 190 mph figure was described as routine review, and the National Hurricane Center confirmed the revised peak intensity on Wednesday.
