AI breakthrough: WeatherNext predicts Hurricane Melissa
May 19, 2026 Science
How WeatherNext helped the National Hurricane Center better predict Hurricane Melissa’s historic landfall in Jamaica
WeatherNext team
The National Hurricane Center was able to issue advanced weather warnings to give communities in Jamaica additional lead time to prepare, evacuate, and help protect livelihoods
In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa made history. It was the strongest hurricane on record to land in Jamaica and tied for the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic.
The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) forecast also marked a historic milestone. For the first time, they predicted a storm would reach Category 5 intensity starting from Category 1 wind speed. Our AI model WeatherNext helped the NHC make this decision by predicting the storm’s rapid intensification and landfall in Jamaica with high confidence—and most critically, this prediction came five days in advance.
Predicting dangerous storms earlier and more accurately helps teams on the ground to better...
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