A U.S. Air Force WC-130J Weatherbird from the 53rd WRS, as well as NOAA aircraft, have had to abandon planned missions early due to the strength of Hurricane Melissa.
Weather reconnaissance planes have been operating at an extraordinarily high pace in recent days to gather data on Hurricane Melissa, which threatens to devastate communities across the Caribbean. These include civilian-operated WP-3D Orions from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as WC-130J Weatherbirds from the US Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (WRS), known collectively by the nickname ‘Hurricane Hunters’.
These aircraft collect information about storms by flying directly toward them, including the “eye.” Sensors installed on the aircraft, as well as probes, provide the crew on board live information on a wide range of parameters. This data can then be recorded and transmitted to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), who will use it to inform predictions about the storm’s track and intensity, which in turn will inform the NHC’s advice on sheltering or evacuation.
On October 28, 2025, just hours before Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, the 53rd WRS reported via social media that one of its aircraft had encountered turbulence beyond normal while operating near the eye of the storm. The plane, flying under the mission callsign TEAL 75, was forced to abort its mission under safety regulations that require a plane to be inspected for damage after exceeding established voltage limits.
— Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) October 28, 2025
The squadron statement reads: “A crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (call sign TEAL 75), known as the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, is returning to its forward operating location in Curacao after encountering severe turbulence today as it entered the eye of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm. During the event, the aircraft briefly experienced stronger than normal forces. due to turbulence. While these do not automatically indicate damage, standard safety procedures require an inspection before returning to operations.”
This footage from inside the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa may be the most striking video ever captured of the eye of a hurricane, showing the infamous “stadium effect.” pic.twitter.com/AEhj2g2Ban
– Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) October 27, 2025
At NOAA daily report By October 27, the day before, it had also said that the intensity of Storm Melissa had forced the early return of its planes: “Reports from NOAA and Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter planes indicate that the central pressure has fallen to about 908 mb, and both planes launched probes into the northeastern eyewall that support an initial intensity of 145 kt. The airline’s plane NOAA abandoned the storm early after experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall.”
A demonstration of sheer power from Hurricane Melissa today.
Remarkable satellite images. pic.twitter.com/TpBvmdZxlw
—Dakota Smith (@weatherdak) October 28, 2025
Possible video of the wall of the right eye of the Hurricane #Melissa in Rio Negro, Jamaica pic.twitter.com/SfEYQf7dSz
– Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) October 28, 2025
NOAA warns of life-threatening conditions in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, eastern Cuba, the southeastern Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Daily report for October 28 issued the following for Jamaica: “THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-HAZARDOUS SITUATION! COVERED NOW! Catastrophic winds with complete structural failure are likely near the downtown Melissa road. Catastrophic flash flooding, landslides and destructive winds are expected across the rest of the island, causing widespread damage to infrastructure, power outages and communications, and isolated communities. “Along the south coast, life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected throughout the day.”
“LAST CHANCE TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE.”
I have never seen the National Hurricane Center say this.
Melissa is now the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record and made landfall with the same strength as Dorian in the Bahamas. 2.8 million lives will change in a few moments. pic.twitter.com/zFbwGYW16k
– Mateo Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) October 28, 2025
After Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa is expected to hit Cuba, including the US base at Guantanamo Bay. Evacuations of non-essential personnel and equipment have been carried out prior to the storm’s arrival. Government sources in Jamaica and Cuba have said that both nations, expected to be hardest hit by the hurricane, have taken as many precautions as possible to mitigate expected damage. However, the storm is expected to cause significant loss of life in the region and completely devastate many areas already facing difficulties in accessing basic public services.
meteorological birds
The WC-130J Weatherbird, based on the ubiquitous C-130J Hercules, is the primary hurricane hunter aircraft of the 53rd WRS. Among its adaptations for this role are wing-mounted fuel tanks for extended range, a stepped-frequency microwave radiometer that monitors rainfall rates and winds beneath the aircraft, the probe deployment system, and palletized monitoring stations that allow the aircraft to be quickly reconfigured to return to an airlift role. Ten WC-130Js are in USAF service, all with the 53rd WRS.
Ten full-time teams of at least five people each are maintained along with ten part-time teams, working together to meet mission readiness requirements directed by the National Hurricane Operations Plan. An average mission could last up to eleven hours, and the aircraft’s endurance allows for up to 18 hours in the air when operating at optimal efficiency. All WC-130Js are based at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, although they frequently deploy to forward operating locations when necessary.
NOAA’s smaller WP-3D Orion fleet carries out largely the same missions, but the crew members on board have the additional goal of collecting data for scientific research and storm preparedness. The two WP-3Ds in service will be replaced by two WC-130Js starting in 2030. The new Weatherbirds will inherit many of the modifications made to existing USAF examples, but will also be equipped with the ability to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles while in flight.
This feature is likely coming quickly to the USAF fleet as well, potentially enabling flights in even riskier conditions without the possibility of losing crew members. Over the years since hurricane hunting flights were first conducted, several aircraft have been lost while carrying out the mission. Given the severity of the conditions in which crews fly, if the plane cannot exit the storm, there is essentially no chance of a successful rescue.
Surprisingly, despite the risk, the last deaths during a hurricane hunter mission occurred in 1974, and also the only time a WC-130 of any variant was lost. Since then there have been several incidents, but the aircraft was finally recovered safely.
