Hurricane Melissa registered 252 mph wind gust, breaking global record

A 252 mph wind gust was recorded inside Hurricane Melissa, making it the strongest hurricane wind ever recorded and verified by a dropsonde, according to data reviewed by scientists.

The U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) said the reading was captured last month as a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft released multiple dropsondes into the storm while Melissa approached Jamaica.

One instrument transmitted the 252 mph measurement seconds before striking the ocean. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) flagged the data as a potential record and sent it to NSF NCAR for analysis and verification.

Holger Vömel, a senior scientist with NSF NCAR’s Dropsonde Program, said his team analyzed the data using post-processing software to confirm it aligned with physical expectations and showed no anomalies.

Melissa’s 252 mph wind gust surpassed the previous record from Typhoon Megi over the Western Pacific in 2010, where a dropsonde measured wind gusts of 248 mph, the NSF NCAR said. A stronger gust, at 254 mph, was recorded by a private anemometer during Cyclone Olivia near Australia in 1996.

“NOAA looped us in when they saw the high wind speed and asked, ‘Are these numbers any good?’,”said Holger Vömel, an NSF NCAR senior scientist who works with the organization’s Dropsonde Program.

“They have pilots and researchers literally putting their lives on the line to get these measurements,” Vömel added. “They’re the heroes, and it’s a privilege we get to play a role in making sure the measurements they acquire are accurate.”

Hurricane Melissa became one of the most destructive storms in Caribbean history when it made landfall. The system intensified into a Category 5 hurricane before striking Jamaica on October 28, leaving widespread destruction.

Torrential rains triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides throughout the region, particularly in Haiti, where at least 43 people were killed.

In total, more than 5 million people were affected by Hurricane Melissa, and at least 76 deaths have been confirmed, with search and recovery operations still underway.