Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” category 4 hurricane on its approach towards eastern Cuba after striking Jamaica as one of the most powerful storms in the Atlantic Basin.
The National Hurricane Center said the hurricane was “re-strengthening” ahead of the landfall, packing maximum sustained winds 130mph.
The hurricane made landfall in Jamaica earlier as a category 5 storm with 185mph winds near New Hope.
At least seven people have died across the Caribbean – three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.
Melissa is expected to remain a “powerful” storm as it moves across Cuba, the Bahamas and near Bermuda, the NHC said.“It will be the storm of the century for sure,” World Meteorological Organization tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontan said before the storm pummelled Jamaica.
In Cuba, residents have been told to “seek shelter immediately”, while authorities in the Bahamas are urging people to complete preparations to protect life and property.
Kingston residents warned of crocodiles in floodwaters
As floodwaters rise across Jamaica’s capital, officials in Kingston have issued an unusual warning to be beware of crocodiles.
The country’s environmental agency said the reptiles may have been swept from their natural habitats by Hurricane Melissa’s torrential rains and could appear in unexpected places, including flooded streets and yards.
Across the island, floodwaters swept through communities, roofs were ripped from homes, trees and power lines toppled, and landslides blocked roads.
Hundreds of thousands lose power and telecoms in Jamaica
Internet observatory NetBlocks has reported a sharp drop in connectivity across Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa continues to batter the island.
The monitoring service said hundreds of thousands of residents have lost power and telecommunications after high winds brought down lines and damaged infrastructure.
A graph shared by NetBlocks on X shows a steep decline in network activity since yesterday, reflecting the widespread outages caused by the storm.
Trump says ‘we’re watching it closely’
Donald Trump said the US will help Jamaica with Hurricane Melissa.
“We’re watching it closely, and we’re prepared to move,” he said.
Trump marveled at the storm’s strength, saying: “I’ve never seen that before. I guess it can get that high, but I’ve never seen it,” he said.
In pictures: Cubans prepare for Hurricane Melissa
Officials warn of landslides in Jamaica and Cuba
The National Hurricane Center says landslides are expected in both Jamaica and Cuba as Hurricane Melissa batters the Caribbean.
The storm, which is now a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to reach Cuba early Wednesday.
Hurricane Melissa is gaining strength as it approaches Cuba
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Melissa is “re-strengthening as it approaches Eastern Cuba”.
The storm is expected to make landfall as an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” in the next few hours, it said.
The hurricane is about 110miles (175km) southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, and about 300miles (485km) off the central Bahamas.
Thousands of British tourists stranded as Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica
Around 8,000 British holidaymakers remain stranded in Jamaica after powerful Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean island.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) urged British nationals to register their presence on the government website to receive updates and assistance as authorities have ordered people to stay indoors as the storm, the world’s strongest so far this year, continues to wreak havoc.
“The FCDO stands ready to help British nationals 24/7. We have set up a crisis centre in the Foreign Office, including with support from the Ministry of Defence, and we are positioning specialist rapid deployment teams to provide consular assistance in the region,” foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said.
Ms Cooper added that up to 50,000 dual nationals live in Jamaica, alongside thousands of visiting British citizens who may be affected by the disaster.
Some Britons have expressed frustration at the government’s response.
David Rowe, an IT manager from Hertfordshire, said he felt “completely let down” after paying £3,500 for last-minute flights home before airports shut.“
The advice should have come last week – ‘don’t travel’ – because many travel companies rely on FCDO guidance,” Mr Rowe told the PA news agency.
“This could have been prevented with better action from the UK government.”
How much rainfall is expected in Jamaica and Cuba?
As Hurricane Melissa moves away from Jamaica, the nation is expected to see a total of 24 inches of rainfall, with 30 inches in isolated areas possible, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is now heading for Cuba, where the National Hurricane Center is expecting 20 inches of rainfall through Wednesday, with 25 inches possible in mountainous areas.
Comment: What it is like to be in the path of 185mph Hurricane Melissa
Annie Paul writes from Kingston, Jamaica, detailing the devastation from Hurricane Melissa:
Americans describe impact of Hurricane Melissa
Americans Peter and Dahlia Kong, who are visiting Jamaica, told CNN they are stuck in the country with five children under the age of five.
“We’ve got a bunch of little babies with us, we’ve got five kids under five,” Peter said. “So we were very scared about the little ones.”
When asked about his biggest fear, Peter said he’s concerned about the uncertainty in the aftermath of the storm.
“The aftermath is usually where the worst of the worst comes out of people, especially being in a hotel, you know, where there’s a lot of tourists, when food becomes scarce,” he said. “You know, the people are, you know, I’m sad to say, the people are the ones that I’m watching for the most.”
The family is hoping to fly out of Jamaica on Thursday, Dahlia added.
