Wed Oct 29 08:55:33 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, tailored for “The Hindu” audience and focusing on the Indian perspective on the global climate event:

The Hindu: October 30, 2025

‘Beast of a Storm’: Hurricane Melissa Shatters Records, Raises Alarm on Climate Change

By The Hindu News Service

Santiago de Cuba – Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, has wreaked havoc in the Caribbean, striking Jamaica with record-tying 296 kmph winds on October 28. The storm’s unprecedented intensification and resilience has left scientists stunned and raised serious concerns about the escalating impact of climate change on extreme weather events.

Melissa defied multiple weakening factors, undergoing “extreme rapid intensification” – gaining over 92 kmph in wind speed in just 24 hours, and turbocharging by about 112 kmph. At landfall, Melissa tied records for Atlantic hurricanes in both wind speed and barometric pressure, equaling the intensity of the devastating 1935 Labor Day storm in Florida.

“It’s been a remarkable, just a beast of a storm,” noted Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach, highlighting the storm’s unusual resistance to typical weakening conditions like eyewall replacement cycles and passage near mountainous terrain.

Warm waters, fueled by climate change, played a crucial role in Melissa’s rapid intensification. Some ocean areas beneath the storm were 2 degrees Celsius warmer than the long-term average for this time of year. Climate Central analysis estimates that the water was 500 to 700 times more likely to be warmer than normal due to human-caused climate change.

The intensity of Melissa aligns with broader trends. Since 2016, there have been 13 Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic, including three this year, marking a significant increase in the frequency of the strongest storms. About 29% of the Category 5 hurricanes in the past 125 years have happened since 2016.

Scientists emphasize that while historical hurricane records may be less reliable, the link between warmer waters and stronger storms is increasingly clear.

“We’re seeing a direct connection in attribution science with the temperature in the water and a climate change connection,” said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist for Climate Central. “And when we see these storms go over this extremely warm water, it is more fuel for these storms to intensify rapidly and push to new levels.”

For India, this extreme weather event serves as a stark reminder of the global impact of climate change. As India continues to grapple with its own challenges, including droughts, floods, and rising temperatures, the situation in the Caribbean emphasizes the interconnectedness of climate issues and the urgent need for global cooperation to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.

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