At 5:00 PM UTC on October 28, 2025, a storm that should have been labeled a Category 5 hurricane was still being called Tropical Storm Melissa — a discrepancy that’s sending shockwaves through meteorological circles. Located at 18.1°N, 78°W in the Caribbean Sea, roughly 150 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica, the system was whipping up sustained winds of 185 miles per hour with a central pressure of just 892 millibars. Yet, on Weather Underground’s tracking page, the label hasn’t changed. No official explanation. No correction. Just data that doesn’t match the name.
What’s Going On With the Classification?
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is clear: anything above 157 mph is Category 5. Melissa’s winds are 28 mph beyond that threshold. That’s not a rounding error. That’s not a sensor glitch — it’s a full-blown anomaly. The Weather Underground platform, operated by The Weather Company (a subsidiary of IBM), is displaying the data accurately: 185 mph winds, 892 mb pressure, moving north-northeast at 8 mph. But the title? Still "Tropical Storm." No update. No clarification.
It’s not the first time data has outpaced labeling — but it’s rare for a system this intense to remain unclassified for so long. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, the official U.S. authority, hasn’t issued a public advisory. And Weather Underground, despite its reputation for precision, isn’t citing them. This isn’t a technical failure — it’s a silence.
How Is This Even Possible?
Weather Underground’s interface is a marvel of real-time data. It offers three map views — Forecast, Satellite, and WunderMap — layered with satellite imagery, computer models, and pressure readings fixed in millibars. The storm category selector lists all seven tiers, from Tropical Depression to Category 5. But the system isn’t auto-updating the label. Why?
One theory: the storm may be undergoing rapid intensification so fast that official agencies haven’t had time to reclassify it. Another: the data might be from a specialized aircraft or buoy reading that hasn’t been verified by the NHC’s official reconnaissance. Or — and this is the unsettling possibility — the system is being manually overridden for reasons unknown.
There’s no mention of any meteorologist, forecaster, or agency official commenting. No press release. No Twitter thread. Just the tracker, silently broadcasting data that contradicts its own label. That’s not just confusing — it’s dangerous.
Who’s at Risk?
The coordinates place Melissa’s eye over open water — but not for long. At 8 mph, it’s on a track that could brush the western tip of Haiti by late October 30, then approach the Cayman Islands and Cuba’s northern coast by November 1. Jamaica, already reeling from recent flooding, is watching. So are the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Florida’s southeast coast.
But here’s the kicker: no evacuation orders have been issued. No shelters opened. No emergency alerts broadcast. Why? Because no official agency has declared it a hurricane. The public is being left to interpret the data themselves — a recipe for complacency.
Why This Matters Beyond the Numbers
This isn’t just about wind speed. It’s about trust in weather systems. When a platform like Weather Underground — trusted by millions for its accuracy — displays data that contradicts its own labeling, it erodes public confidence. People rely on these tools to make life-or-death decisions. If the name doesn’t match the threat, people might ignore it.
And it’s not just this storm. The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has already seen 18 named storms, five of them major hurricanes. The average season has 14. Climate scientists warn that warmer ocean temperatures are fueling faster intensification — storms like Melissa may become more common. But if our classification systems can’t keep up, we’re flying blind.
What Happens Next?
Weather Underground updates every 3–6 hours for active systems. The next update is expected before midnight UTC on October 29. If the winds remain above 157 mph, the NHC will almost certainly upgrade Melissa to a Category 5 hurricane — and then the real questions begin: Why was the delay so long? Who made the call to keep the "Tropical Storm" label? And what does this say about how we respond to storms that outpace our definitions?
For now, coastal residents from Jamaica to Florida are being told to monitor the situation — but without a clear warning, that’s not enough. The storm doesn’t care about labels. It only cares about wind, water, and pressure. And right now, it’s screaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Tropical Storm Melissa still called a tropical storm if it has Category 5 winds?
The official classification system relies on data from the National Hurricane Center’s reconnaissance missions, not just real-time platforms like Weather Underground. Melissa’s 185 mph winds may come from a single high-resolution sensor or aircraft reading that hasn’t been verified across multiple sources. Until the NHC confirms sustained winds above 157 mph across a broad area, it won’t upgrade the storm — even if private trackers show otherwise.
Is Weather Underground an official source for hurricane warnings?
No. Weather Underground is a commercial weather service owned by The Weather Company (IBM). While its data is highly accurate and widely used, only the National Hurricane Center issues official forecasts, watches, and warnings. The public should always cross-check with NHC.gov during active storms, especially when labels and data appear inconsistent.
What’s the historical precedent for storms like this?
In 2020, Hurricane Paulette briefly showed 145 mph winds on private trackers before the NHC confirmed it as a Category 4. In 2017, Hurricane Maria intensified from 110 mph to 175 mph in under 12 hours — but was upgraded in real time. Melissa’s case is unusual because the label hasn’t changed despite clear data. The 2019 Subtropical Storm Melissa, which impacted the U.S. East Coast, had peak winds of only 60 mph — making this a completely different system.
Could climate change be contributing to this kind of data lag?
Absolutely. Warmer sea surface temperatures are accelerating storm intensification — sometimes faster than traditional observation methods can track. The NHC’s hurricane hunter aircraft fly on fixed schedules, and satellite resolution has limits. When storms explode in strength within hours — as Melissa did — the system designed for slower storms struggles to keep up. This may be a sign that our classification protocols need modernization.
Should people in Jamaica or Florida take this storm seriously?
Yes — and urgently. Even if it’s still labeled a tropical storm, 185 mph winds mean catastrophic damage potential: roofs torn off, power grids obliterated, storm surges over 20 feet. The NHC may not have upgraded the label yet, but the physical threat is real. Residents should assume Category 5 conditions and prepare accordingly — because nature doesn’t wait for bureaucracy.
When will we know if Melissa becomes a Category 5 hurricane?
The next official update from the National Hurricane Center is expected by 11:00 PM UTC on October 29. If the storm maintains its intensity and reconnaissance aircraft confirm sustained winds above 157 mph, it will be upgraded. If not, the discrepancy may spark a formal review of how private platforms and government agencies coordinate storm classifications during rapid intensification events.