Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 cyclone, has become a symbol of the escalating threats posed by climate change. Fueled by abnormally warm Caribbean waters, the storm intensified rapidly, transforming from a tropical storm with 70 mph winds to a Category 4 hurricane within 24 hours, and eventually reaching Category 5 status. This marks the fourth Atlantic hurricane this season to undergo such dramatic intensification, a trend scientists attribute to global warming.