Post-Tropical Hurricane Melissa Maintains Atlantic Power Ahead Newfoundland Passage

Hurricane Melissa, which made a historic Category 5 landfall in Jamaica with 185 mph winds and tied a record for lowest central pressure at 892 millibars, has transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone as it moves rapidly northeast across the North Atlantic. Despite losing its tropical characteristics, Melissa remains a powerful extratropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds around 85-90 mph, generating large swells and hazardous marine conditions across the western Atlantic, including areas near Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast, and the Canadian Maritimes. The storm is expected to pass just southeast of Newfoundland, bringing gusty winds and heavy rain, before gradually weakening over the next several days as it merges with other systems and dissipates beyond the 96-hour mark. All tropical watches and warnings have been canceled, and no other significant tropical activity is expected in the near term. Melissa's impact included extensive damage in eastern Cuba, the southern Bahamas, and Jamaica, marking it as the most powerful Atlantic basin landfall in 90 years. Forecasts indicate the system will remain a large, strong storm through early next week despite its post-tropical status.