Hurricane Melissa just unleashed a 252 mph gust...and it could rewrite the record books
- Ric Kearbey
- Oct 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 2
Early Monday morning, a 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron dropsonde plunged through the northeastern eyewall of Hurricane Melissa, and recorded something jaw-dropping.
A Hurricane Melissa 252 mph gust at roughly 709 feet above the surface sent shockwaves through the meteorological community. If verified, this would be the strongest hurricane gust ever measured by a dropsonde in the Atlantic basin. The measurement highlights just how powerful Melissa has become and gives scientists a rare glimpse into the extreme wind dynamics inside a Category 5 monster.
Why this is a big deal
Dropsondes are the hurricane equivalent of truth serum. These small, instrument-packed tubes are released from aircraft and fall through the storm, transmitting live data on wind, pressure, temperature, and humidity. The 53rd WRS, nicknamed the “Hurricane Hunters”, are the best in the world at doing this.
This morning’s measurement was taken inside Melissa’s northeastern eyewall near a pressure level of 907 mb, which lines up with the storm’s 175 mph sustained winds and Category 5 intensity.
This 241 mph gust tops the previous hurricane gust benchmark of 200 mph measured by a dropsonde in Hurricane Patricia (2015), one of the most intense tropical cyclones ever observed in the Western Hemisphere.
But wait… is Hurricane Melissa’s 252 mph gust a new record?
Here’s the nuance.
What happened today: A gust of 252 mph was measured by a dropsonde — a direct, trusted instrument reading.
What hasn’t happened yet: Official verification. To be logged as a record, the data must be reviewed, quality-checked, and certified by agencies like the National Hurricane Center and World Meteorological Organization.
Why it matters: Dropsonde gusts are taken a few hundred feet above the surface — not at standard 10-meter wind measurement height — so they aren’t classified the same way as surface gust records.
Even so, this is elite territory.
How it stacks up against other wind records
Event | Gust (mph) | Type of measurement | Year | Location |
Tropical Cyclone Olivia | 253 mph | Surface (anemometer) | 1996 | Barrow Island, Australia |
Hurricane Melissa | 252 mph | Dropsonde at 709 ft | 2025 | Caribbean |
Hurricane Patricia (2015) | 200 mph | Dropsonde | 2015 | Eastern Pacific |
Tropical Cyclone Winston | 186 mph | Surface gust | 2016 | Fiji |
Hurricane Camille (1969) | 190 mph (estimated) | Surface, unofficial | 1969 | Mississippi |
The world’s official top surface wind gust remains Olivia’s 253 mph blast on Barrow Island. Melissa’s gust isn’t an “official” surface record, but in hurricane-hunting terms, it’s likely the strongest gust ever recorded inside an Atlantic hurricane.
What makes eyewall winds so extreme
The eyewall is a hurricane’s engine room, where pressure is lowest and winds scream the fastest. When a Category 5 hurricane has perfect structure and ideal environmental support, gusts can surge far beyond the sustained wind speeds listed in advisories.
Melissa’s eyewall this morning was textbook “monster mode.” Aircraft data showed sustained flight-level winds of 175 mph and a tight, intense pressure gradient. The dropsonde fell right through the strongest quadrant of the storm… and history was made.
What happens next
The National Hurricane Center will analyze this data as part of Melissa’s post-storm best-track review. If the measurement holds up, and all signs suggest it will, it’ll likely be logged as the strongest hurricane gust ever recorded via dropsonde.
And that’s not just a footnote. This kind of data helps forecasters understand the upper limits of hurricane intensity, refine wind modeling, and improve warnings for communities in the path of future monster storms.
Weather Nerdy takeaway
Whether or not it becomes an officially recognized record, the Hurricane Melissa 252 mph gust is a moment that will live in hurricane history. It’s a reminder of the awe-inspiring — and sometimes terrifying, power these storms can unleash.
For meteorologists, it’s valuable data. For the rest of us, it’s a vivid example of why understanding hurricanes matters. Weather Nerdy will keep following this story as the data is reviewed and verified, but one thing’s already certain: Melissa has made its mark.
Stay tuned to Weather Nerdy for updates as official verification comes in, and for a closer look at how Hurricane Hunters make measurements like this possible.