US Air Force ‘Hurricane Hunters’ fly into the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa | Watch

Dramatic footage has emerged of a US Air Force aircraft from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters,  flying straight into the eye of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm barreling toward Jamaica.

Jamaican authorities have urged residents to seek higher ground, warning of a “potentially devastating impact,” as Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the approaching storm.

Defying the hurricane’s power, the Hurricane Hunters flew into the storm’s center, capturing stunning visuals of the rare “stadium effect,” a calm, circular space surrounded by towering cloud walls. The mission aimed to collect critical data for the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) as Melissa, the world’s strongest storm of 2025, approached Jamaica.
The footage was shared by a U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunter known online as Tropical Cowboy of Danger, who has two decades of flying experience. He said the mission’s data will help improve forecasting and understanding of Melissa’s intensity and structure.

Storm chaser Tanner Charles, featured by CNN and BBC, also posted striking images of the hurricane.

Melissa packed winds of up to 175 mph (282 kph) on Monday, threatening to become the strongest hurricane ever recorded in Jamaica. Classified as “catastrophic,” it was expected to strike Jamaica late Monday or early Tuesday, then cross Cuba and move toward the Bahamas by Wednesday, the NHC said.