At least three people have been killed in Jamaica and more elsewhere in the Caribbean during the most powerful storm on the planet in 2025.
For days, people have been bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa – a Category 5 storm – and the catastrophic damage it is set to cause. But the worst is yet to come.
It was expected to make landfall early today, slicing diagonally across the island and entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south before eventually exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.
Hours before, the government said it had done all in its power to protect people.
Prime minister Andrew Holness warned: ‘There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5.
‘The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.’
After sustaining wind speeds of up to 175mph, Melissa has officially been declared the world’s strongest storm this year – and the worst Jamaica has ever experienced since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.
Parts of the country are set to be pummeled by rainfall of up to 40 inches – and a ‘life-threatening storm surge’, the US National Hurricane Centre warned.
Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead of the storm, already cutting off vulnerable communities.
A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet is also expected to hit the south.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for some coastal areas of Jamaica, while some patients in hospitals have been relocated from the ground floor to the second floor.
Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service, said: ‘We will get through it together.’
Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps advisor based near Kingston, confirmed that most families are sheltering in place despite the government ordering evacuations in flood-prone communities.
He said: ‘Many have never experienced anything like this before, and the uncertainty is frightening.
‘There is profound fear of losing homes and livelihoods, of injury, and of displacement.’
Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s water and environment minister, said he had more than 50 generators available to deploy after the storm, but warned people to set aside clean water and use it sparingly.
‘Every drop will count,’ he said.
Melissa is already was blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.
It is also was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba later today as a powerful hurricane.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for Las Tunas.
Up to 20 inches of rain were forecast for parts of the country, along with a significant storm surge along the coast.
Cuban officials said Monday that they were evacuating more than 600,000 people from the region, including Santiago, the island’s second-largest city.
Hurricane categories explained
Meteorologists use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to measure a hurricane’s strength, with Category One being the weakest and Category Five the strongest.
Category One: winds of 74 to 95 mph and minor damage, such as falling debris and older mobile homes destroyed.
Category Two: winds of 96 to 110 mph with well-constructed framed homes sustaining major roof and siding damage.
Category Three: winds of 111 to 129 mph, with water and electricity unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.
Category Four: winds of 130 to 156 mph, with well-built framed houses potentially sustaining severe damage.
Category Five: winds of 157 mph or higher with a high percentage of framed houses destroyed, total roof failure and wall collapse.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
