Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica at around midday local time (5pm GMT) before reaching eastern Cuba later – and it could impact weather in the UK
Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm of the year, is “about to make landfall” in Jamaica, the National Hurricane Center said.
The Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 175mph, is already battering the Caribbean island with flash flooding and storm surges, the US agency said. The storm is still some distance away but is gaining speed, with its eye expected to make landfall at around midday local time (5pm GMT). Forecasters say Melissa could be the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica, unleashing up to 30 inches of rain along with 175mph winds.
The Met Office has said Hurricane Melissa could affect UK weather. A spokesperson told Yahoo News UK: “Hurricane Melissa is expected to lose its tropical characteristics in the North Atlantic and likely dissipate as a distinct system later this week.
READ MORE: Hurricane Melissa UPDATES: Mega waves hit Jamaica as 145mph winds make landfall
“There is a small chance that the remnants of Melissa could influence UK weather next week, although the picture will become clearer closer to the time. At present, any particularly significant or disruptive weather appears unlikely. However, the system could help maintain the broadly unsettled conditions already affecting the UK.”
After wreaking havoc in Jamaica, Melissa is expected to move towards eastern Cuba on Tuesday evening (12pm GMT), where authorities say they have evacuated more than 500,000 people from areas at risk of flooding and extreme winds.
Melissa will then continue towards the Bahamas at around 7pm local time (12pm GMT) on Wednesday, by which time, it is expected to have weakened to a Category 2.
The storm has already claimed three lives in Jamaica and four in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In Jamaica, up to 1.5million people could be affected, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Around 25,000 tourists are currently on the island, officials said.
The storm is expected to be a Category 5 when it hits land, then weaken to Category 4 as it crosses the island.
“It’s going to be a very dangerous scenario,” said Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, warning of “total building failures”. Brennan said Jamaica’s highest mountains could see wind gusts of up to 200mph. He added that Melissa will make landfall in eastern Cuba overnight on Tuesday or early on Wednesday.
Storm-tracking maps then show Melissa’s route into the North Atlantic, grazing Canada’s easternmost point.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness warned there would be “no infrastructure” able to withstand the storm’s conditions.
Experts say the climate crisis is worsening Caribbean hurricanes. Researchers at Climate Central found Melissa rapidly intensified while lingering over ocean waters 1.4C warmer than average, conditions made up to 700 times more likely by climate change.
The hurricane has been named Melissa in line with the US National Hurricane Center and the World Meteorological Organisation’s naming system for tropical storms. Names rotate on six-year cycles and are only retired if a storm is particularly catastrophic.