Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Tropical Storm Melissa to become catastrophic Category 4 hurricane

Top weather news for Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025: Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to become a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean by early next week. Meanwhile, lake-effect rain continues to soak Great Lakes metro areas, including Buffalo and Cleveland.

Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

Tropical Storm Melissa forecast to become Category 4 hurricane dumping flooding rain on Jamaica, Hispaniola

Millions of people in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are preparing for flooding rain and high winds as Tropical Storm Melissa, which is now forecast to become a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane, meanders in the central Caribbean.

A Hurricane Watch has been issued for parts of Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, and a Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Jamaica. The dangerous rain and wind impacts from Melissa are expected to begin on those island nations by Friday.

Lake-effect rain event soaks Great Lakes metro areas, including Interstate 90 corridor

A low-pressure system over the Great Lakes region continues to fuel lake-effect rain bands on the eastern sides of lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario and the southern side of Lake Superior.

A widespread 1-2 inches of rain, with locally up to 3 inches, is expected along the Interstate 90 corridor between Buffalo, New York, and Cleveland through the end of the week. Social media video showed dozens of lightning strikes over Lake Erie, from the Buffalo waterfront, as the lake-effect rain bands moved into the region.

Atmospheric river forecast to bring deluge of rain, snow and potential flooding to Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest will face an even more powerful atmospheric river that is set to slam into the region beginning Friday that could drop several inches of rain in coastal areas and several feet of snow at higher elevations when all is said and done.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the strongest impacts are expected from southern Oregon into Northern California. Cities including San Francisco and Eureka in California and Medford, Oregon, will see the most intense part of the storm on Saturday and Sunday. 

Watch this: Large waves batter Lake Michigan pier as 50-mph winds roar ashore

Footage taken by Nate's Dronography on Tuesday shows intense winds roaring over Lake Michigan, kicking up massive waves that lashed a pier in Saint Joseph, Michigan.

The angry seas were fueled by steady wind gusts of 40-50 mph, with a peak gust of 51 mph.

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