'Hurricane Hunters' who flew into eye of Melissa had to turn back due to turbulence, NOAA says

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southern Jamaica on Tuesday.

ByNadine El-Bawab
October 29, 2025, 10:23 AM

The U.S. Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Hurricane Hunters," encountered heavier than normal turbulence while flying into the eye of Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday morning and were forced to turn back.

The team was forced to return to its operating location in Curacao after experiencing "forces stronger than normal" that warranted a safety inspection before they could continue, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron wrote on social media.

A similar situation arose on Monday, when a "Hurricane Hunters" flight "left the storm early" after experiencing severe turbulence on Monday as well, the National Hurricane Center said.

PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force Reserve crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Hurricane Hunters," flies through Hurricane Melissa on Oct. 27, 2025.
A U.S. Air Force Reserve crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Hurricane Hunters," flies through Hurricane Melissa on Oct. 27, 2025. The photo, taken by Lt. Col. Mark Withee, a navigator with the 53rd WRS, shows the crew making a pass through the storm to collect vital weather data for the National Hurricane Center.
U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Mark Withee

Despite being forced to return once on Monday, the Air Force shared jaw-dropping video as the "Hurricane Hunters" flew into the eye of the storm multiple times over the course of the day.

Melissa has a "well-defined" 10 nautical mile wide eye, according to the NHC.

U.S. Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, aka the "Hurricane Hunters," flew into the eye of Hurricane Melissa on Monday to collect data for the National Hurricane Center.
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US Air Force ‘Hurricane Hunters’ fly into Melissa’s eyeU.S. Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, aka the "Hurricane Hunters," flew into the eye of Hurricane Melissa on Monday to collect data for the National Hurricane Center.
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The storm hit Jamaica on Tuesday and is forecast to be the worst storm in the island’s history. 

The storm had near-record-breaking winds of 185 mph as it roared ashore Tuesday on the western part of the island. 

Melissa brought catastrophic winds, rain, flooding and storm surge.

PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force Reserve crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Hurricane Hunters," flies through Hurricane Melissa on Oct. 27, 2025.
A U.S. Air Force Reserve crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Hurricane Hunters," flies through Hurricane Melissa on Oct. 27, 2025. The photo, taken by Lt. Col. Mark Withee, a navigator with the 53rd WRS, shows the crew making a pass through the storm to collect vital weather data for the National Hurricane Center.
U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Mark Withee

Melissa made a second landfall in eastern Cuba on Wednesday morning, and will move near or over the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos on Wednesday afternoon, according to the NHC. The hurricane could reach the vicinity of Bermuda on Thursday night.

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