Recently, Hurricane Melissa roared ashore in Jamaica, leaving behind a trail of destruction that is still being tallied. The storm struck as a Category 5 hurricane, bringing winds exceeding 185 mph (295 kph), torrential rainfall, and widespread flooding that crippled power grids and cut off communities across the island.

For scientists tracking storms like Melissa, the data suggests that modern hurricanes are getting stronger and more destructive. A primary cause seems to be human-driven global warming, which is increasing ocean temperatures, providing more fuel to monstrous hurricanes in the Atlantic.

What is it?

To understand how hurricanes are becoming more destructive, scientists use satellites and temperature maps, like this one taken by the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-3 to see the temperature differences in these powerful storms.

Hurricanes form over warm ocean surfaces, drawing immense energy from the heat and moisture of the sea. As these storms intensify, the difference between sea surface temperature and cloud-top temperature becomes more extreme, which Sentinel-3 can see as various thermal bands.

Where is it?

This image was taken above Jamaica in the Atlantic Ocean.

Why is it amazing?

The Copernicus program, created by the European Union and run by the European Space Agency, scans Earth with Sentinel satellites to study coastal changes, ocean temperature and other variables.

In this Sentinel-3 image, the stark temperature difference between the top of Hurricane Melissa and its bottom shows how it formed and how it continued to grow into a Category 5 storm. High-resolution images like this one can help explain why studying these storms is essential in forecasting, preparedness and looking ahead in our changing climate.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about the Copernicus program and hurricanes.

With the help of satellites, we are beginning to get an understanding of just how catastrophic Hurricane Melissa was.

On Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa became the fourth hurricane in 75 years to make landfall on the island of Jamaica and shattered several Atlantic hurricane records. It is now tied with the 1935 "Labor Day" hurricane for the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall on record, according to Yale Climate Connections. As of Oct. 31, at least 50 deaths have been reported in the storm's wake, and total damages could reach over $50 billion, according to Reuters. The full impact of the storm is still being assessed.

Satellite photos released by Vantor Technology (formerly Maxar) are beginning to reveal the extent of the damage left in Melissa's wake, which left the island of Jamaica unrecognizable in many parts. Vantor Technology recently shared imagery on X showing several locations throughout the island nation that flooded or were damaged by high winds brought by Hurricane Melissa.

Following Hurricane Melissa, Vantor made its satellite imagery available for free in order to help rescue and recovery efforts. "This imagery can be used by frontline organizations and geospatial community members to map changes on the ground and identify the most severely impacted areas, helping ensure resources are allocated quickly and effectively," Vantor wrote alongside the images.

Imagery like this is useful to first responders and other organizations on the front lines as it can help them locate where the hardest hit areas are and where immediate help is needed most. And as the flood waters begin to recede, responders can also use satellite imagery to determine when it's safe to get into those areas to search for survivors and survey the damage.

There were only two hurricanes before Melissa, Hurricane Charlie and Hurricane Gilbert, that reached the status of a major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale when they made landfall on Jamaica.

But Melissa surpassed every Jamaican hurricane and is now ranked as the strongest ever to landfall on the island, reaching a Category 5 storm last week with sustained winds at 185 miles per hour mph (298 km/h).

Hurricane Melissa's deadly spin is visible from space.

Satellite footage caught the hurricane in rotation on Tuesday (Oct. 28) as it wreaked destruction across the Caribbean. Imagery from the GOES-19 satellite shows "mesovortices" surrounding the hole, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Metavortices refer to "small-scale rotational features" around the eye of the storm; they form in circumstances of "extreme differences in wind speed and direction," Weather.com states.

Emergency authorities told the Associated Press that Melissa is one of the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricanes ever recorded. Human-driven climate change has caused an overall intensification of extreme weather, including hurricanes.

Melissa hit Jamaica on Oct. 28 as a Category 5 storm (the strongest type of storm) with winds of 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour).

Desmond McKenzie, deputy chair of Jamaica's disaster risk management council, declined to share how many people have died, although authorities separately told AP at least four deaths occurred in southwest Jamaica. Roughly 72% of the island has no power and 65% of mobile phone sites are down.

In Haiti, AP added, at least 25 people were killed and 18 others missing following flooding. Cuba had no reported deaths after Melissa hit as a Category 3 on Wednesday (Oct. 29), but "many communities were still without electricity, Internet and telephone service because of downed transformers and power lines," AP stated.

As of Thursday (Oct. 30) morning, Melissa was classified as a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds nearing 105 mph (169 kph) and is situated roughly 515 miles (830 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda, which remains under hurricane warning at the time of AP's report.

High above Earth, satellites like the European Union's Copernicus Sentinel-2 watch and track storms such as Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 maelstrom. These satellites help keep continuous eyes on the tempest and provide valuable data about how these natural disasters form and how they can impact communities in a changing world.

What is it?

The Copernicus program is an initiative by the European Union to monitor Earth. It comprises several families of "Sentinel" satellites, each operated by the European Space Agency and tasked with different sensing capabilities: land, ocean and atmosphere.

Because the data is freely available to researchers under the Copernicus program, scientists can support disaster management, build better early warning systems, and have better insights into how global warming and climate change are affecting hurricanes.

Where is it?

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28, 2025.

Why is it amazing?

Hurricane Melissa underwent a period of rapid intensification, becoming one of the most powerful storms in the Atlantic in 2025. When it made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28, 2025, it was the most powerful storm in the country's history. Monitoring how storms change is crucial because intensification rates are hard to predict, and stronger storms mean higher risk of catastrophic damage.

Understanding and analyzing the processes behind hurricane intensification, via the use of satellites like Sentinel-2, can help to improve hurricane forecasting and, in the process, save lives.

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about Earth-monitoring satellites and the European Space Agency.

The first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season is upon us, and it has gained quite a bit of attention due to its massive size and intensification within a short period of time.

Hurricane Erin, the fifth named storm of the season as well as the first hurricane to reach major status, formed on Aug. 11 and made its trek across the central Atlantic in just a few days.

The storm reached hurricane status on Aug. 15 as it approached the Lesser Antilles, then strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane the following day. At its highest intensity, Erin boasted maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph).

If those stats are not impressive enough, the views from space and from within Hurricane Erin are quite an extraordinary sight as well — and, of course, we have both of those available for you to see right here at Space.com.

We got a birds-eye view of some of Erin's most intense moments so far from one of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) spacecraft and the United States Air Force's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (also known as the Hurricane Hunters).

Footage from the GOES-19 satellite shows Hurricane Erin strengthening into a dangerous Category 4 storm as it roared toward the Eastern Caribbean. You can watch the progression of Erin from a cluster of bubbling clouds to a more organized system with a well-defined eye and symmetrical structure.

The high-resolution images from GOES-19 paint the picture of a storm moving through conditions favorable for development. Within 24 hours, Erin grows into a monster, churning madness in the open waters of the Atlantic and sending powerful wind and waves from miles offshore to communities on nearby islands, including Puerto Rico.

We also get to see Erin through the eyes of the men and women that make up the Hurricane Hunters. The team of aircrew fly on a WC-130J aircraft around and into storm systems, taking measurements and captivating views of their anatomy.

You can see what it looks like to be inside the eye of Hurricane Erin, staring up at the blue skies above while in the quiet center region of the storm. And, as the aircraft begins its journey into the eye wall, the location of the most powerful winds and intense rain surrounding the tranquil eye of Erin, you can see the transition from peace to chaos within minutes.

To stay up-to-date with the latest on Erin, you can find more details from NOAA's National Hurricane Center.

Satellites in space watched Hurricane Debby roar across Florida on Monday, bringing with it potentially record-setting rainfall and dangerous 80 mph (129 km/h) winds.

NOAA's GOES-East satellite recorded real-time views of Debby as it watched the hurricane unleash its force across the southeastern U.S. The footage, gathered from the satellite's position about 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above Earth's equator, shows Debby strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, swirling dangerously close to Florida.

Debby made landfall at Steinhatchee, Florida around 7 a.m. ET (1100 GMT) on Aug. 5 as a Category 1 hurricane, drenching the state's Big Bend coast in over 10 inches (25 cm) of rain. By 11 a.m. ET (1500 GMT), it weakened into a tropical storm and was traveling north, carrying with it the potential for record-setting rain and dangerous flooding, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. At least four deaths have been reported so far in Florida, and over 300,000 people remain without power across the state, NBC reported.

The hurricane's outer bands can be seen in the satellite footage sweeping across the state, where it delivered at least two isolated tornadoes and intense thunderstorms, including a few that overturned several campers in an RV park. The satellite continued to capture imagery the storm as it barreled toward the state in the early hours of Monday and as it came ashore in the morning. 

Such satellite imagery helps scientists determine the strength, size, shape and direction of the storms. The day-time views of the hurricane seen in the video are approximately the way they would appear to human eyes from space, according to NOAA. The city lights shining in the night-time views are not real-time depictions, but are sourced from a static database of nighttime mosaics gathered by another NOAA satellite.

Hurricane Hunters of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, who flew into Debby on Sunday, provided data useful for NHC weather forecasting.

Debby is the fourth named storm of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, after Hurricane Beryl and tropical storms Alberto and Chris, all of which formed in June. Forecasters have warned that the season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, will be a busy one.

Debby, now a tropical storm ferrying "potentially historic" amounts of rain and winds of 70 miles per hour (110 kilometers per hour), is moving north along the southeastern coast, the NHC said. In the coming days the storm is expected to dump up to four feet of rain in both Georgia and South Carolina. Governors in both states have declared emergencies.

The eye of Hurricane Irene, now a major storm with 115 mph (185 kph) winds, was spotted by infrared satellite sensors as the storm swirled over the Bahamas Wednesday (Aug. 24).

After a brief dip in its power Tuesday, Irene re-strengthened overnight and has now reached Category 3 status, making it the first major hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season. Category 3 hurricanes on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane strength have winds between 111 to 130 mph (178 to 209 kph). [See Hurricane Irene's Eye from space]

The last hurricane hunter reconnaissance mission also measured a central pressure of 966 millibars – a decrease from the previous flight, and further indication of the storms organization and intensification.

Irene's predicted path will take it up through the Bahamas, then up to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and along the coast of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states where it could finally make landfall. The storm would like weaken some in the cooler waters off the northern states, though it could still bring torrential rains and strong storm surge. [Related: Could New York City Handle a Hurricane?]

Rainfall in the Bahamas is expected to total between 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30.5 centimeters), with some isolated pockets of 15 inches (38 cm). Storm surge in the islands is expected to be as much as 7 to 11 feet (2 to 3.4 meters) above normal tide levels.

Irene is the first hurricane and first major hurricane for what has been forecast to be an active season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updated its forecast on Aug. 4, predicting 14 to 19 named storms (which include tropical storms and hurricanes), seven to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes. An average Atlantic hurricane season will see 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. August through October are the peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season.

This story was provided by OurAmazingPlanet, sister site to LiveScience.