Hurricane Melissa, which formed in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, grew from a category 1 storm (with maximum sustained winds of 120.7 km [75 miles] per hour) to a category 5 storm (with winds in excess of 257.5 km [160 miles] per hour) in less than 48 hours. By the afternoon of October 27, 2025, the hurricanes winds had risen to 281.6 km (175 miles) per hour.