By Anders Lorenzen
The world may have moved on, but for hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean, the rebuilding following the devastating climate-fuelled Hurricane Melissa has only just begun.
This Christmas don’t forget the victims of Hurricane Melissa
That’s why this Christmas, A greener life, a greener world are asking our readers to support people in the region by this destructive event that more than anything illustrates how it is the poorer countries who have done the least to cause climate change, but who are nevertheless paying the highest price for inaction.
Hurricane Melissa fueled by climate change
As we reported when Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica at the end of October, it was not only the most powerful hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season, but, it became the island’s most powerful storm on record with sustained winds of around 185 mph (295 km/h) and a minimum central pressure near 892 millibars. That makes Melissa one of the most intense Atlantic landfalling hurricanes ever recorded. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has described it as “Jamaica’s worst storm this century.”
Even as the event was unfolding, scientists say the storm’s explosive growth and extraordinary strength carry the unmistakable fingerprints of a warming world. Over just a few days, it evolved from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane — a process known as rapid intensification, defined as a rise in sustained wind speeds of at least 35 mph within 24 hours.Such explosive growth is becoming increasingly common. The Caribbean Sea, over which Melissa strengthened, recorded surface temperatures around 30 °C, about 1.5 °C above the seasonal average. Warm seas act as high-octane fuel for hurricanes, releasing vast quantities of latent heat into the atmosphere.
Since then, the World Weather Attribution group, have in a rapid attribution study only confirmed the strong climate links to the event.
Support our 2025 Christmas Appeal by giving to the Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund
In the aftermath of the event, the immediate concern is to provide aid to impacted communities, but in the longer term and as the rebuilding begins, it is crucial that we bear in mind climate resilience and climate adaptation.
That is why we are pleased to support Global Giving’s Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund, which supports a variety of different organisations ranging from emergency relief to food security and climate resilience and adaptation.
As we enter the 2025 holiday period, we strongly urge you to consider supporting the Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund, and why not even add it to your gift list?
Donate to the Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund here.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will bring stories focused on this campaign and speak to people at the heart of the relief efforts.The world may have moved on, but for hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean, the rebuilding following the devastating climate-fuelled Hurricane Melissa has only just begun. That’s why this Christmas, A greener life, a greener world are asking our readers to support people in the region by this destructive event that more than anything illustrates how it is the poorer countries who have done the least to cause climate change, but who are nevertheless paying the highest price for inaction.
Anders Lorenzen is the founding Editor of A greener life, a greener world.
Discover more from A greener life, a greener world
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.