Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica with record-tying 185 mph winds, and its strength defied typical weakening factors. It also intensified rapidly, gaining 70 mph in just 24 hours last week. On Tuesday, it tied strength records for Atlantic hurricanes making landfall. Meteorologists are amazed by its resilience, especially since it hovered near Jamaica’s mountains, which usually weaken storms. Warm water fueled Melissa, with some areas 2 degrees Celsius warmer than average. Climate scientists link this to global warming, and they predict more intense storms in a warming world.