Hurricane Melissa has etched its name in meteorological history by matching the intensity of the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, the most powerful storm ever to make landfall. According to an analysis of data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday with wind speeds nearing 300 kilometers per hour (185 mph) and an atmospheric pressure of 892 millibars, equalling the record set nearly a century ago. The Labor Day Hurricane devastated the Florida Keys in 1935 with similar ferocity, leaving a lasting mark on hurricane records. Melissa’s arrival underscores the growing intensity of tropical storms, a trend scientists attribute to climate change. While other storms, such as Typhoon Goni (2020) and Hurricane Patricia (2015), have recorded stronger winds or lower pressures, none have matched Melissa’s intensity at the moment of landfall. Melissa, the fifth Category 5 storm of 2025, surpassed Typhoon Ragasa, which struck East Asia earlier in the year, in both wind speed and pressure. After battering Jamaica, Melissa was downgraded to Category 3 as it moved toward Cuba. This event highlights the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events globally, driven by rising global temperatures.