Jamaica officially declared ‘disaster area’ as Hurricane Melissa leaves 7 dead and 500k without power – with 25,000 tourists stranded

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the nation a ‘disaster area’ on Tuesday afternoon.

He is looking to ‘prevent any exploitation at a time when citizens are securing food, water and supplies.’

The declaration comes into affect today.

As part of the declaration, the government has renewed a trade order which will prohibit any price gouging during recovery efforts and the subsequent clean up.

Holness said he wants to ‘prevent any exploitation at a time when citizens are securing food, water and supplies.’

‘There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,’ Holness had earlier said. ‘The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.’

Hurricane Melissa has been downgraded to a Category 3 as it approaches Cuba.

There were fears it would hit while remaining at a Category 4 intensity, but wind speeds have now slightly eased.

Wind speeds have weakened to 125 miles per hour.

It is still expected to make landfall in Cuba by late Tuesday or in the early hours of Wednesday.

People are being electrocuted as they wade through floodwaters in parts of Jamaica, according to Nationwide90FM journalist Robian Williams.

The reporter, who is in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, told ABC ‘we’re being told of people being electrocuted by live wires in water.’

‘It is just really scary, most of the western parishes, Westmoreland, St Elizabeh, they’re being pounded. It’s just insane.’

At least five Carnival Cruise ships have canceled or replaced destinations scheduled for this week in light of Hurricans Melissa.

Planned stops to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Grand Turk and Amber Cove will no longer go ahead.

Instead, the ships will be visiting Mexico, Honduras, Belize and Nassau, the company said in a statement.

These routes could be readjusted and more changes could be made depending on the hurricane.

Officials have urged locals and travelers impacted by the hurricane to report missing people and find shelters on this government website.

‘Report missing persons, roadblocks, flooding and damage. Share, photos, videos, and your location, roadblocks, flooding, or damage. Your update helps us to do our damage assessment,’ the website states.

Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, singled out extensive damage in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth.

He said the area ‘is under water.’

McKenzie said severe damage also was reported in parts of Clarendon in southern Jamaica.

Almost every parish in the country is experiencing blocked roads, fallen trees, damaged utility poles and excessive flooding, McKenzie said.

He said four main hospitals are damaged, with the storm knocking out power to one of them, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients.

Ahead of the storm’s arrival in the Sierra Maestra mountains in the province of Santiago de Cuba, residents used whatever tools they had at their disposal to seek shelter.

Extraordinary photos show a couple on a donkey-pulled cart in the rain, covering their heads with a tarp from the deluge.

Others said they were evacuated on buses and trucks, or horse-drawn carts.

At least three families are trapped in their homes in Black River, Western Jamaica, as rising floodwaters make it impossible for crews to rescue them, according to Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.

He said the dangerous weather conditions were preventing any rescue efforts in the region.

‘Roofs were flying off,’ he said.

‘We are hoping and praying that the situation will ease so that some attempt can be made to get to those persons.’

McKenzie said there are no confirmed reports of new deaths and stressed that it was too early to talk about the extent of the damage because the storm was still pummeling the island.

As Hurricane Melissa pivots away from Jamaica, Cuba is in its path with landfall expected as soon as Tuesday night.

Melissa will likely make landfall in Cuba a little after midnight as a Category 4 or high-end Category 3 storm.

By early Wednesday morning, Melissa is expected to pass Cuba and enter the Atlantic Ocean en route for the Bahamas.

By the time the hurricane reaches the Bahamas on Wednesday, it will likely be a Category 3 or high-end Category 2 storm – enough to still cause flash fooding and significant damage.

By Thursday night, the storm could pass by Bermuda if it stays on the current track.

As many as 530,000 Jamaicans are currently without power as the storm tears through, officials said on Tuesday afternoon.

In all, at least 15,000 people are hunkering down in shelters.

Michael Brennan , the director of the US National Hurricane Center, told CNN it could take weeks to fully assess the damage from Hurricane Melissa.

‘It may take days to weeks to fully capture the scope of what’s happening here and what’s happening in the next few hours,’ he said.

Grey Bull Rescue, a veteran-led organization, told NBC News NOW they are ‘preparing for the worst’ and ready to evacuate Americans from Jamaica.

‘There’s going to be lots of people that sheltered in their homes, and their homes aren’t there anymore,’ the group’s founder, Bryan Stern, said. ‘We’re going to find lots of people in compromised structures.’

He added, ‘Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton put Tampa on its heels, and that was a barely Category 4 hurricane in a place that is not an island, with a lot of really good infrastructure and lots of resources. A Cat 5 comparatively in Jamaica is going to be extremely severe.’

The eye of the storm has shifted back off the coast of Jamaica.

Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, said late Tuesday that winds across Jamaica would remain dangerous even though Melissa’s center had moved into open water.

He said people in Jamaica are still facing ‘dangerous conditions across the island.’

Storm surge and torrential rains will continue to batter Jamaica even as the hurricane moves further away.

Melissa was now headed toward the southeast coast of Cuba, where it was expected to make landfall as a major hurricane early Wednesday.

The storm was expected to generate a storm surge of up to 12 feet (30 centimeters) in the region and drop up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain in parts of eastern Cuba.

‘Numerous landslides are likely in those areas,’ Brennan said.

Black River, the capital of St. Elizabeth Parish, experienced significant damage from Hurricane Melissa, according to The New York Times.

‘Things are deteriorating by the minute,’ Richard Solomon, the mayor of Black River, told local media. ‘I think the entire parish will be severely damaged.’

Massive winds ripped the roofs off of several buildings in Black River, including the local office of the power company Jamaica Public Service, according to reports.

Hurricane experts have warned that the impacts from Melissa will be some of the worst in history.

‘It is not hyperbole to say that western Jamaica is currently experiencing tropical cyclone impacts near the top of what is possible on this planet,’ Alan Gerard, a retired NOAA meteorologist, told USA Today.

Jeff Waters, director of hurricane models at Moody’s, said the storm is ‘truly an unprecedented event for the Atlantic Basin, and particularly Jamaica.’

‘While too early to comment on any economic or insured loss impacts, this will undoubtedly be a generational and humanitarian event for Jamaica and perhaps other impacted areas in the Caribbean’

Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai, said the country is ready to help with Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.

‘As Hurricane Melissa moves across the Caribbean, Canada is ready provide disaster assistance,’ he said on X.

‘We are in close contact with partners to deploy pre-positioned relief supplies and ensure a coordinated and rapid response to the hurricane’s impact.’

The US Air Force Hurricane Hunters stunned the public after their planes were seen crossing the massive eye of Hurricane Melissa before it made landfall in Jamaica .

Hurricane Melissa tore off the roof of a hospital in Black River, Jamaica.

Internet watchdog NetBlocks found that internet connectivity is down 42 percent in Jamaica.

‘Network data show widening internet outages in #Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall near the town of New Hope, resulting in damage to infrastructure and power outages; overall national connectivity is down to 42 percent of ordinary levels,’ the group said.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said that approximately 25,000 tourists are in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa batters the island.

‘The safety and security of our visitors are paramount,’ Bartlett said. ‘It’s all hands-on deck to ensure the safety of our visitors and locals alike.’

‘Through the coordinated efforts of the[ Tourism Emergency Operations Centre] and our industry partners, we are ensuring that all necessary measures are in place to protect and assist every guest.’

Government officials described the devastating damage to buildings in the parish of St. Elizabeth.

‘There is extensive, extensive damage in the southwestern areas, in St. Elizabeth, major damage in St. Elizabeth, a lot of flooding, extensive wind damage to schools, hospitals out there, homes,’ Richard Thompson, Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), told CNN.

‘We have confirmed coming into our operation center impact to the Black River Hospital,’ he said. ‘We are really expecting extensive damage to that hospital.’

Starlink announced it is offering free service through the end of November for those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

‘For those impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and the Bahamas, Starlink service is now free through the end of November to help with response and recovery efforts,’ the company said.

Power company Jamaica Public Service addressed the growing number of outages facing the country.

‘We know many of you are without power. We see you. We hear you. We will begin restoration the moment it is safe for our crews to be on the road,’ the power company said.

The company also advised residents to unplug major appliances, use flashlights and report the outage on the MyJPS app.

Crews in Barahona, Dominican Republic, worked to clean up a tree that crashed onto a house due to strong winds.

One person in the Dominican Republic was killed by the storm.

Hurricane Melissa is expected to reach Cuba by Wednesday, bringing massive amounts of rain and storm surge.

‘For eastern Cuba, storm total rainfall of 10 to 20 inches, with local amounts to 25 inches, is expected into Wednesday resulting in life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding with numerous landslides,’ the National Hurricane Center said.

‘There is a potential for significant storm surge along the southeast coast of Cuba late today or Wednesday. Peak storm surge heights could reach 8 to 12 feet above normal tide levels, near and to the east of where the center of Melissa makes landfall. This storm surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.’

The National Hurricane Center officially dropped Hurricane Melissa down to a ‘powerful’ Category 4 storm.

The maximum sustained winds have declined to 150mph and the central pressure has gone back up to 914mb, according to the center’s 4pm ET update.

‘This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation! Residents should not leave their shelter and should remain in place through the passage of these life-threatening conditions,’ the update said.

Local reporter, Sashana Small, told The New York Times some residents were trapped by floodwaters in Alligator Pond, a seaside community, and houses were submerged in Mandeville, forcing residents onto roofs.

She said she had sought shelter at a local hotel, but her third-floor room was flooded and water was continuing to come in under the door.

Additionally, in the central parish of Manchester, heavy rain and winds from Hurricane Melissa ripped off roofs, knocked down utility poles and flooded streets, according to the outlet.

Byron Pearce told CNN he is stuck in his second-floor apartment in Negril, Jamaica, as Hurricane Melissa barrels through the island.

‘The water is still coming under my door. At the moment, I have to be constantly trying to use towels to get some of that water dried up,’ he said.

‘Right now, it’s a lot of wind, a lot of heavy wind. I’m basically surrounded by two big windows, so a lot of water is coming under the windows.’

Pearce explained that his family lives nearby, but it has been too dangerous to try and reach them.

‘I haven’t been able to get through to my mother and my sister for the past hour, so that would be my main concern right now,’ he said.

‘What I really want to know is that they’re okay. I’m just hoping that maybe their batteries are dead.’

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said over 6,000 Jamaicans are in 382 shelters as they evacuate from Hurricane Melissa.

McKenzie noted that St. Elizabeth, which is forecast to face the brunt of the storm, had a low turn out number.

‘St Elizabeth is of concern because I’m understanding that we are getting calls before we came on air of persons in St Elizabeth asking for transportation to be sent into various communities to transport persons out of those areas,’ McKenzie said.

‘It is going to be difficult; I’ve given instructions to the ODPEM director and the team to advise the disaster coordinators and the Members of Parliament and the mayors, wherever transportation is needed. They should do everything that is possible to provide the transportation to get the people out.

‘But the system that we have had [to evacuate people], those systems have been put on hold now because of the closeness of the system [hurricane].’

The Jamaican government said it has contacted the White House about potential assistance for the Hurricane Melissa recovery.

‘The people of the United States have always been a friend of Jamaica, and I know that we have already received offers of assistance from the US government,’ Jamaica’s minister of information, Dana Morris Dixon, told The New York Times.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness launched the Hurricane Melissa relief website.

‘Rebuilding Lives. Restoring Hope,’ Holness said on X.

‘Hurricane Melissa is a powerful Category 5 storm posing a serious threat to the lives and livelihoods of Jamaicans. In its aftermath, recovery will take every helping hand. Together, let us stand ready to protect and help families recover, rebuild homes and restore livelihoods once the storm passes.’

As of 3pm ET, Flight tracking website FlightAware showed 75 percent of flights departing from Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport are cancelled.

As many as 91 percent of flights departing from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay are also cancelled.

Jamaica’s South East Regional Health Authority warned residents in Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine and St Thomas to be aware of displaced crocodiles.

‘Exercise extreme caution as heavy rains and flooding associated with Hurricane Melissa may result in crocodiles being displaced from their natural habitats,’ the agency said.

‘Rising water levels in rivers, gullies and swamps could cause crocodiles to move into residential areas in search of dry ground.

‘Residents living near these areas are therefore advised to remain vigilant and avoid flood-waters.’

Hurricane Melissa, with dangerous winds of up to 165mph, knocked down a tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica.

Internet watchdog NetBlocks found a decline in internet connectivity along the west coast of Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa approached the island.

NBC6’s hurricane specialist John Morales had a stunned reaction when he learned of the strength of Hurricane Melissa.

Fellow meteorologist Adam Berg told Morales the latest measurements of the storm, sparking Morales’ powerful reaction.

‘180 [mph] now,’ Berg said, referring to the storm’s maximum sustained winds.

‘180, and what’s the pressure?’ Morales said.

‘Pressure is now down to 896 [mb],’ Berg replied.

‘Oh my Jesus Christ,’ Morale said, rubbing his forehead. ‘Okay, I’m going to hold it together here.’

The eye of Hurricane Melissa made its way over western Jamaica at 2pm ET, moving toward the north-northeast at 8 mph.

‘A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected later today, followed by a faster northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday,’ the National Hurricane Center said.

‘On the forecast track, the core of Melissa will cross western Jamaica during the next few hours and then move back into the Caribbean Sea.

‘After that, the center is expected to move across southeastern Cuba early Wednesday morning, and move across the southeastern or central Bahamas later on Wednesday.’

The US State Department has advised Americans in the path of Hurricane Melissa to ‘depart ASAP.’

‘Americans in the path of Hurricane Melissa: We’re providing updates and safety information to Americans in impacted countries,’ the department said.

‘If you’re in an area projected to be in the storm’s path, depart ASAP if still possible. Americans who decide to remain should make preparations to shelter in place.’

AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva warned that the destruction from Hurricane Melissa will be unlike damage Jamaica has experienced before.

‘The catastrophic wind speeds combined with the slow forward motion of this storm are a deadly and destructive combination,’ DaSilva said.

‘The destruction could be unlike anything people in Jamaica have seen before. The island has never taken a direct hit from a Category 4 or a Category 5 hurricane in recorded history.’

Hurricane Melissa’s wind speed has decreased to 165mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 2pm ET update.

Although the storm is forecasted to weaken as it cross Jamaica, it is is still a Category 5 hurricane.

NHC advises the storm will cause catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge on the island.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN Hurricane Melissa will cause ‘catastrophic damage.’

‘There is no infrastructure in this region, or maybe anywhere in the world, that could withstand a category five hurricane without some level of damage,’ Holness said.

‘And for Jamaica, a category five hurricane, particularly where the impact is direct, and in the area of impact, there will be catastrophic damage.

‘I’m praying for those residents, and we have been preparing and we have been praying for the best. Stay inside, batten down [and] keep safe.’

Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps worker sheltering in Portmore, Jamaica, told The New York Times Hurricane Melissa has knocked out the power.

‘Outside, trees are being violently tossed in the wind, and the noise is relentless. People are anxious and just trying to hold on until the storm passes,’ he said.

Melissa’s slow movement over unusually tepid Caribbean water had contributed to its ballooning size and strength, forecasters said, threatening Jamaica with days of never-before-seen catastrophic winds and rain.

Scientists warn that storms are becoming stronger faster as a result of climate change warming ocean waters.

‘Slow-moving major hurricanes often go down in history as some of the deadliest and most destructive storms on record,’ said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. ‘This is a dire situation unfolding in slow motion.’

Volunteers are filling up boxes with essential goods at the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) headquarters in Miami, Florida.

The US-based nonprofit humanitarian organization, GEM, which specializes in providing rapid disaster relief and long-term recovery support to communities globally affected by natural disasters, conflicts, or crises, is mobilizing a major aid operation both ahead of and following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Melissa, with maximum sustained winds up to 185 mph, made landfall on the island at 1pm ET.

American mother, Kristin Morgan, told CNN she has been stranded at her hotel in Lucea, close to Montego Bay.

‘I’m just feeling like I’d like to get home to my children,’ she said, noting she is visiting Jamaican for a wedding while her children are with a grandparent in Atlanta.

‘There were no flights available until Friday 31 and then slowly flights would open up. They’ve been opening and then being canceled as well. It’s been a hot potato situation.’

She said the hotel staff has been working diligently to keep guests informed as the storm develops.

‘They’ve been trying to communicate as much as they can while the phones are still working,’ Morgan said.

‘The waters are choppy. It’s a gray blast outside. The wind is just out of control. There is no sign of life whatsoever outside.’

Hurricane Melissa is seen making landfall on Jamaica’s west coast around 1pm on Tuesday. The storm is the strongest ever recorded.

Melissa struck the coast of Jamaica around 1pm ET on Tuesday. The Category 4 hurricane hit New Hope with 185mph winds, the strongest ever recorded.

The record-breaking storm will now move over Jamaica bringing fearsome winds, floods and a huge storm surge.

The eye of the storm is moving north-northeast at a speed of around 9mph.

FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross told the Daily Mail that Hurricane Melissa will create ‘un-survivable’ conditions across Jamaica.

‘Over a large part of the country, the conditions will be un-survivable today for anyone not protected in a well-built structure above the flood level,’ Norcross said.

‘Catastrophic impacts are expected from the Black River area in St. Elizabeth Parrish in southwest Jamaica across the island to the north-central coast.

‘In addition, extreme flooding with numerous mudslides are likely across the entire country from two feet or more of rain falling in the mountains and running downhill into towns and cities. Along the coast, Caribbean seawater will be pushed up to 15 feet above the normal tide level.’

Norcross also noted that the storm will have no impact on the US except for generating strong swells and dangerous surf along the East Coast.

If Hurricane Melissa strikes Jamaica at full strength, it could far surpass the storms the island has ever experienced before, according to the BBC.

The last hurricane to directly hit Jamaica was Gilbert in 1988, a Category 3. It killed 49 people and flattened thousands of homes.

Hurricane Dean in 2007 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024 caused damage, but both pale in comparison to Melissa’s strength.

Richard Thompson, acting general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness, gave his tips to locals to get ready for Melissa’s impact. These included:

• Bringing items from the home inside, saying that items could become ‘missiles’ in Melissa’s 180mph winds
• Securing animals
• Staying away from the outer walls of the home if inside
• Staying downstairs (in the event the home is two story)
• Getting to shelter now
• Keeping away from the coastline and low lying areas

The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron crew, often referred to as Hurricane Hunters, was forced to return from tracking Melissa due to turbulence.

‘[The crew] is returning to it’s forward operating location in Curacao after encountering heavy turbulence today while entering the eye of Hurricane Melissa,’ the group said.

‘During the even, the aircraft briefly experienced forces stronger than normal due to turbulence. White this does not automatically indicate damage, standard safety procedures requite an inspection.’

National Hurricane Center Director Dr. Michael Brennan said Hurricane Melissa is ‘poised to make landfall on the southwestern coast of Jamaica here in the next hour or two.’

‘A very dangerous scenario is now starting to play out in the next few hours as the eye of Melissa moves across Jamaica,’ Brennan said.

‘Catastrophic wind damage expected in the eyewall here. Total building failures. You could have wind gusts over 200 mph in some of those high mountains here across Jamaica.’

Departures from Miami International Airport (MIA) are facing major delays as severe weather linked to hurricane activity sweeps through South Florida.

According to the latest update issued at 11:28am EDT, departing flights are delayed an average of 45 minutes and are climbing.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alert comes as Hurricane Melissa is just minutes away from making landfall on Jamaica as a Category 5, powerful enough to send pounding waves and dangerous winds north to Florida.

Satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show the eye of Hurricane Melissa is rapidly approaching Jamaica.

In it’s 12pm ET update, the National Hurricane Center said the storm is about 30 miles southeast of Negril, Jamaica.

‘Do not leave your shelter as the eye passes over, as winds will quickly, and rapidly increase on the other side of the eye,’ the update said.

Jamaica Public Service announced that more than 35 percent of its customers are experiencing power outages as Hurricane Melissa impacts the island.

‘With Jamaica now feeling the worsening effects of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, JPS is reporting an increase in outages across several parishes,’ the company said.

‘The most badly affected parishes are St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Hanover and St. James. Approximately 75 percent of customers in these parishes are without power due to the impact of the Category 5 hurricane.’

Jamaican officials shared that about 25,000 tourists are on the island as Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall.

‘How many tourists are here on the island? The number I have from the Ministry of Tourism is 25,000,’ said Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s minister of education, said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Dixon added that the government is trying to keep tourist ‘as safe as we possibly can.’

A professional storm chaser has told how gusts of winds in a Jamaican parish feel like ‘bombs going off’.

Josh Morgerman, also known as iCyclone, is in St Elizabeth parish where flooding has already been reported ahead of Hurricane Melissa making landfall.

In a social media post, Mr Morgerman said:

Frightening power. Whiteout. Roofs teaing off. Gusts like bombs going off. Painful ears. Praise the lord for solid concrete.

In an earlier message, he wrote how crashing sounds were like an ‘explosion’ with trees ‘bending way over’.

Hurricane Melissa is an ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 5 storm that is about to make landfall in Jamaica.

It is considered the fifth-strongest hurricane ever in the Atlantic, with a low pressure of 895 millibars, a unit used to measure a storm’s intensity. The lower the pressure, the more powerful the hurricane.

Additionally, Melissa’s maximum sustained winds have reached 185mph, just 5mph less than the gustiest hurricane on record, Hurricane Allen.

Strongest Atlantic hurricanes by wind speed:

• Hurricane Allen (1980): 190mph
• Hurricane Melissa (2025): 185mph
• Hurricane Gilbert (1988): 185mph
• Hurricane Wilma (2005): 185mph
• Hurricane Dorian (2019): 185mph
• ‘Labor Day’ Hurricane (1935): 185mph

Strongest Atlantic hurricanes by surface pressure:

• Hurricane Wilma (2005): 882mb
• Hurricane Gilbert (1988): 888mb
• Hurricane Melissa (2025): 892mb
• ‘Labor Day’ Hurricane (1935): 892mb
• Hurricane Rita (2005): 895mb
• Hurricane Milton (2004): 897mb
• Hurricane Allen (1980): 899mb

The United States has moved military assets in the Caribbean to safety ahead of the expected landfall of Hurricane Melissa.

Washington has an unusually large number of forces deployed in the region – seven US Navy ships as well as F-35 stealth warplanes as part of what it calls counter-narcotics efforts – and there is a danger of those assets being affected by Hurricane Melissa.

US forces ‘have implemented inclement weather plans and moved away from any area where current or forecasted weather conditions are hazardous and could potentially pose unacceptable levels of risk,’ the military’s Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said when asked about preparations for the storm.

‘Despite these recent actions, they remain ready and able to accomplish their assigned missions,’ said SOUTHCOM, which is responsible for US forces in central and South America.

A couple posed for a joking photo holding onto a tree in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday as the winds from incoming Hurricane Melissa reached 185mph.

Jamaicans have been told ‘don’t bet against Melissa’ as ministers begged people to go to higher ground in an attempt to protect themselves from the approaching hurricane.

Desmond McKenzie, the country’s Minister of Local Government, said the briefing was the last authorities would be able to give before the storm makes landfall.

He says there remains a ‘small window’ for people to protect themselves, adding: ‘this is not the time to be brave.’

Ending his remarks, he says: ‘don’t bet against Melissa – it is a bet we can’t win.’

Earlier Daryl Vaz said those residing in low-lying areas have ‘a few hours’ to move somewhere safer.

He said: ‘Seek to go to higher ground. Protect yourself and be smart.’

American Peter Kong and his family have been forced to shelter in place while vacationing in Jamaica due to Hurricane Melissa barreling toward the island.

Kong told NBC News that they stocked up on supplies once realizing they had been stranded. They arrived on Thursday and realized they were stuck on Saturday.

‘We are just now worried about the water and wind,’ he said. ‘It is nerve-wracking knowing something catastrophic could happen.

Kong is staying at Rio, which he said the staff went above and beyond to help him and his family ‘ride out the storm.’

Jamaica’s energy minister Daryl Vaz says emergency flights could leave Jamaica as early as Thursday.

The island’s international airports have been temporarily closed as a precaution until the storm passes.

Mr Vaz says flights could take off from Norman Manley International Airport – the second largest airport on the island – where the impact is not predicted to be extensive.

He says there could be a ‘potentially disabling impact’ on Sangster International Airport as a result of the storm which could see Ian Fleming airport used for ‘contingency planning’.

Torrential downpours ravaged parts of Florida leaving a luxury hotel flooded and roads washed away.

The slow-moving storm system was declared by the National Weather Service (NWS) as a ‘particularly dangerous situation’.

Pictures and videos emerged on social media of the four-star resort The Boca Raton, in Boca Raton, being swamped with flood waters.

Murky waters entered the lobby of the luxury hotel flooding it, with patio furniture and strewn across the interior, as staff had to resort to wading through it.

Mr Thompson concludes his address by warning residents the worst impacts from Hurricane Melissa are yet to come.

You might be saying that this system does not seem to be packing much of a punch. The truth is it is still some distance from the coast.

He adds the situation facing Jamaicans will get ‘significantly worse’ compared to what they are experiencing now.

Mr Thompson adds Hurricane Melissa will bring ‘catastrophic, life-threatening damage’ to Jamaica when it makes landfall.

He tells the news conference:

If you are under the impact of those category five hurricane-force winds, you will be having significant difficulty even with infrastructure.

People in Jamaica have been told to expect heavy downpours with most parts seeing up to 16 inches of rain as well as strong winds.

Jamaican ministers are currently holding a news conference about Hurricane Melissa.

Evan Thompson, from the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, says Melissa is currently around 75km off the coast.

He says the storm is moving at around 11km/h but the centre remains some distance away.

Melissa is still on course to make landfall on the south-west coastline as a Category 5 storm which will then weaken to Category 4 as it crosses the island.

Mr Thompson says Melissa could even become a Category 3 storm before leaving Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa is not expected to make landfall in the United States, but forecasters have warned of rough surf as the storm moves along the east coast.

The storm is moving slowly north-northeastward, according to the National Hurricane Center.

‘Over the next several days, the hurricane is expected to accelerate to the northeast within the flow ahead of an amplifying trough over the southeastern US,’ the agency said.

‘This steering flow will bring the core of Melissa across Jamaica today, over eastern Cuba early Wednesday, and across the southeastern or central Bahamas later on Wednesday.

‘Then, the hurricane is forecast to pass near Bermuda Thursday night or early Friday.’

Experts from the National Hurricane Center have issued a desperate final warning to Jamaicans to protect themselves as Melissa bears down on Jamaica.

In a social media post, the group said ‘THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE!’ as part of its most recent update.

It warned those who fail to shelter could risk serious injury or death and urged people to put ‘as many wall as possible’ between themselves and outside.

Here are the latest pictures we can show you from the Jamaican capital Kingston where waves and winds are battering the city.

Images show powerful waves hitting Kingston while palm trees are swaying violently in the wind.

It comes as Melissa’s eyewall, where the hurricane’s strongest winds are located, start to move into Jamaica, marking the start of the landfall process.

Hurricane Melissa has reached sustained wind speeds of 185mph, making it the second-strongest storm on record in the Atlantic.

That is only 5mph less than Hurricane Allen, which was the gustiest hurricane ever in the Atlantic with 190mph winds in 1980.

The National Hurricane Center has warned that the dangerous winds could cause ‘total structural failure.’

‘Within the eyewall, total structural failure is likely, especially in higher elevation areas where wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains could be up to 30 percent stronger,’ the agency said.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts, which has seven properties in Jamaica, said safety is their priority has Hurricane Melissa nears the island.

‘As Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica, our Sandals and Beaches family is fully focused on the safety and well-being of our guests, team members, and the communities we call home,’ Executive Chairman Adam Stewart said.

‘Jamaica is where our company was founded, and the people in the path of this storm are our neighbors, friends, and family. Our resort team members have experience, training, and are prepared for this hurricane’s arrival.

‘The Jamaican government and its emergency services teams are doing incredible work to prepare and are providing regular updates. We stand together, ready with the same care, strength and resilience that define our beautiful island and its people.’

Pictured: Sandals South Coast in Whitehouse, Jamaica

Melissa’s eyewall, where the hurricane’s strongest winds are located, has started to move into Jamaica.

This marks the start of the landfall process, according to CNN.

The hurricane will not officially make landfall until at least half of its eye crosses over land, which is forecast to happen in the next few hours. Melissa is moving to the north-northeast at 7 mph.

TikTok influencer Hannah Grubbs has been slammed for posting about traveling to Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa.

On Sunday, she posted a video from the airport captioned, ‘Just two girls headed to Jamaica in a Category 5 hurricane.’

Commenters labeled her post ‘tone deaf’ and hit out at Grubbs for making light of the deadly storm.

‘It’s giving tone deaf. You’ll be humbled quickly. Some lessons in life will break you and I fear this is that lesson. Good luck,’ one person said.

‘The fact she continued to post things like this speaks volumes. I’ve screen recorded it all so she can’t just pretend this wasn’t her behavior. The news is also talking about her. And nothing good to say. Stay safe- everyone who deserves it,’ said another.

‘You better not be on here begging for a flight out of there when you realize how serious it is,’ a third person said.

Usain Bolt pictured in 2014

Legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, 39, posted on X about Hurricane Melissa.

‘Keep Safe Jamaica,’ the eight-time Olympic gold medalist said Tuesday morning.

The retired athlete remains the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay.

Meanwhile, Jamaican singer Shaggy said his thoughts were with the nation today. The It Wasn’t Me singer posted his own message on his Instagram page.

Hurricane Melissa has intensified, surpassing Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged New Orleans in 2005.

Melissa is now the fifth-strongest hurricane ever in the Atlantic, with a low pressure of 896 millibars, a unit used to measure a storm’s intensity, The New York Times reported.

The lower the pressure, the more powerful the hurricane, Phil Klotzbach, a senior hurricane researcher at Colorado State University, explained on X.

When Hurricane Katrina reached its peak Category 5 strength in 2005, it was at 902 millibars.

Melissa has also reached sustained winds of 180mph, just 10mph less than Hurricane Allen, which was the gustiest hurricane ever in the Atlantic with 190mph winds in 1980.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has posted his latest Hurricane Melissa warning with just hours to go before the storm is expected to make landfall.

Mr Holness said ‘catastrophic hurricane-force wind conditions’ are expected in the island shortly as Melissa continues its approach.

Mr Holness reiterated warnings of a life-threatening storm surge which could see waters rise to 13 metres as well as destructive winds and rains.

Hurricane Melissa has rapidly developed into a Category 5 storm with winds of 180mph.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm is expected to accelerate to the northeast within the flow ahead of an amplifying trough over the southeastern US.

This steering flow will bring the core of Melissa across Jamaica today, over eastern Cuba early Wednesday, and across the southeastern or central Bahamas later on Wednesday. Then, the hurricane is forecast to pass near Bermuda Thursday night or early Friday.

Officials are concerned not enough people have evacuated as Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica.

As of Monday evening, only about 1,700 had evacuated to shelters, according to Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s minister for local government.

‘When an island nation gets threatened by a storm of this caliber, it is a very significant and unusual kind of problem, because in terms of evacuation, there’s a limit to where people who are evacuated can actually go,’ Irwin Redlener, the founding director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, told The New York Times.

‘They’re a low-income country, and they’re going to be low-resource for disaster response,’ he added. ‘But no country is going to be fully prepared for this.’

The National Hurricane Center has confirmed Hurricane Melissa has strengthened to 180mph – up from 175mph recorded earlier.

The storm is currently around 260 miles (420km) southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba.

According to reports, Melissa is now 10mph shy of the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic: Hurricane Allen, which had winds of 190mph in 1980.

Footage shot in the hurricane’s eye shows the eerie calmness with clear blue, sunny skies up above, while the thick cloudy eye wall can be seen swirling around in the distance.

A specially adapted plane operated by the US Air Force hurricane hunters flew into the center of the storm to capture the images.

On Tuesday morning, Melissa was centered about 55 miles south-southeast of Negril, Jamaica, and about 265 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba.

The system had maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and was moving north-northeast at 7 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Hurricane Melissa, which has overtaken Katrina in terms of intensity, is packing winds of 175-mph and will be the strongest storm to ever hit Jamaica.

Power company Jamaica Public Service (JPS) said over 52,000 customers were affected by outages on Monday as the island prepared for Hurricane Melissa.

‘As weather conditions from Hurricane Melissa continue to deteriorate, we are seeing an increase in outages. We want to be clear: Our teams are already responding,’ JPS said.

‘Over the last 24 hours, just over 52,000 customers were impacted by outages, and our teams have already restored power to more than 30,000 of those affected.

‘We are working to connect the remaining customers. However, in some areas, heavy rains and difficult terrain are creating access challenges.’

Friends and family of US citizens visiting Jamaica are pleading for help as their loved ones brace for impact from Hurricane Melissa.

Worried aunt, Jamie Neimeyer, posted on X that her nephew and his bride of one week are trapped.

‘We tried every avenue, including private charters. They had a seat for Grace on one of the last flights out, but she wouldn’t leave Jet,’ she posted.

Another couple was visiting the island for their 10th anniversary and were set to leave on Saturday, but their flight had been canceled ahead of the incoming hurricane.

Maritza Caver-Blake told ActionNews5: ‘We have two kids back in Jonesboro that family and our friends are taking care of until we get back.

‘My main concern is my kids and trying to make sure that we can get back to them.’

The US Embassy in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, has told American citizens to shelter in place and check in with loved ones when possible.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness issued a statement Monday night warning residents to prepare for Hurricane Melissa.

‘Hour by hour, it is becoming apparent that the impact of Hurricane Melissa will be greater than the impact of Hurricane Beryl, certainly in terms of rainfall and flooding,’ Holness said.

‘Prepare your evacuation plan and comply with the evacuation orders given. Avoid unnecessary risks such as playing in flood waters and waterways, climbing trees and roofs during the hurricane, shelter in place, stay inside during the hurricane.’

Here are the latest pictures from the Jamaican capital Kingston where residents have woken up waiting for Hurricane Melissa’s arrival.

Melissa is expected to make landfall in the coming hours.

In the capital, Melissa is feared to have a destructive impact on the city’s coastline which is home to Jamaica’s main international airport and power plants.

Three people were killed in Jamaica while preparing for Hurricane Melissa, officials said.

Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Christopher Tufton, said the three victims were killed while trees were being cut down.

‘Over the past few days, in preparation for the storm, we have had three deaths – three deaths linked to cutting down of trees, and in one instance electrocution because of, or due to, the cutting down of a tree,’ Tufton said.

He also noted that about 15 injuries have been reported related to storm preparations.

The Jamaica deaths bring the death toll from Hurricane Melissa up to seven, with three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic already killed in the storm.

Hurricane Melissa is on track to deliver a historic and catastrophic Category 5 strike on Jamaica on Tuesday, bringing life-threatening flash floods, landslides and destructive winds.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned residents: ‘Remain sheltered! Failure to act may result in serious injury or loss of life.’

Melissa’s intensity could fluctuate this morning due to internal processes like eyewall replacement cycles. Regardless, the storm is expected to hit Jamaica as an extremely dangerous major hurricane within the next 12 hours.

While interaction with Jamaica and eastern Cuba may cause some weakening, Melissa is still forecast to move over portions of the Bahamas as a strong hurricane on Wednesday.

The storm is currently moving north-northeast at about 4 mph and is expected to accelerate over the next few days as it tracks ahead of a strengthening trough over the southeastern US.

Read the full story by Stacy Liberatore here:

A Red Cross official has warned millions across Jamaica will face a ‘difficult’ day as the country prepares for the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Speaking via video link from Trinidad and Tobago, Necephor Mghendi, from the International Federation of Red Cross, said:

Today will be very difficult for tens of thousands, if not millions of people in Jamaica. Roofs will be tested, flood waters will rise, isolation will become a harsh reality for many.

To enable swift relief distribution, essential items — tarpaulins, hygiene kits, blankets and safe drinking water — had been pre-positioned in Red Cross branches on the island, he said, with over 800 shelters set up for evacuees.

Jamaica’s health minister Dr Chris Tufton has told how he was kept awake by Hurricane Melissa as many across the country faced a sleepless night.

Dr Tufton told how swaying trees and howling winds meant he was kept wide awake as many on the island prepare for Melissa’s landfall expected in the next few hours.

Reuters captured palm trees swaying violently in the wind this morning in Kingston.

Melissa is showing no signs of weakening as it approaches Jamaica with experts warning it will likely remain a Category 5 storm when it makes landfall.

Jack Beven, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, said:

We’re running out of time for it to weaken before landfall.

Melissa has maintained 175mph winds since yesterday as it strengthened to become the most powerful storm this year and one of the most intense on record.

Note: The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane’s maximum sustained wind speed

Category 1: 74-95mph. Very dangerous winds will produce some damage

Category 2: 96-110mph. Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage

Category 3: 111mph-129mph: Devastating damage will occur

Category 4: 130mph-156mph: Catastrophic damage will occur

Category 5: 157mph+ Catastrophic damage will occur

Thousands of tourists’ Jamaican vacations have been ruined after Hurricane Melissa locked down the Caribbean paradise, with flights home cancelled.

Families have also been told there is no way off the island as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Caribbean rips through the country.

The Category 5 monster is packing sustained winds of around 175mph and dumping up to 40 inches of rain in some parts of Jamaica. Forecasters have warned of catastrophic flash flooding and lethal landslides.

Jamaican authorities have declared a national emergency, ordered mass evacuations in flood zones, and told people to shelter in place.

Airports have been shut, and many roads have been left underwater or covered in debris, with many buildings boarded up.

The huge shutdown has trapped thousands of holidaymakers in beach resorts and rented villas with nowhere to go. According to reports, around 5,000 Brits are currently on the island.

Read the full story by Kevin Adjei-Darko here:

This new satellite image captured this morning shows Hurricane Melissa bearing down on Jamaica.

Melissa, which has overtaken Katrina in terms of intensity, is packing winds of 175-mph and will be the strongest storm to ever hit Jamaica.

A British tourist in Jamaica has told how hotel guests are being told to put their mattresses up against the wall because the windows will likely blow out.

Andrew Tracey told Sky News he flew to the Caribbean on October 20 and was meant to return to the UK yesterday before his flight was cancelled.

Speaking from his hotel where he is sheltering in his bathroom, Mr Tracey said the walls and balcony feel as though they are vibrating owing to the strength of the wind.

It’s very loud, even with the doors closed and everything, it’s very intense at the moment. I’m very nervous, it’s hard to comprehend what we are likely to expect.

But saying that I do feel as though I am in the safest place possible, I really feel for the locals that don’t have the protection that I currently have.

Landslides across Jamaica are ‘already happening’, the Red Cross has said, amid warnings of catastrophic damage across the island.

The Red Cross’s communications officer Esther Pinnock told AFP said huge rock movements had been recorded following heavy rainfall brought by Melissa.

‘It’s looking quite eerie on the outside, and every once in a while we have some gusty winds, but the system is creeping in,’ Pinnock said.

Despite urgent warnings by officials, some have made the choice to stay on their properties, she added.

Local government minister Desmond McKenzie said late Monday that many of the island’s 880-odd shelters standing by were empty.

‘I want to urge persons… to get to high ground as quickly as possible,’ he said.

The US National Hurricane Center has warned people in Jamaica who fail to act against the incoming Hurricane Melissa could lose their life in its latest warning to those on the island.

In a message released at 5am ET, it said:

Remain sheltered! Catastrophic flash flooding, landslides, and destructive winds will continue through today, causing widespread infrastructural damage, power and communication outages, and isolated communities. Total structural failure is possible near the path of Melissa’s center. Along the southern coast, life-threatening storm surge and damaging waves are expected through the day. Failure to act may result in serious injury or loss of life.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said it expects a catastrophic situation in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall with winds gusts over 300 kilometres per hour, flash floods and landslides in the worst storm to hit the island this century.

‘It’s a catastrophic situation expected in Jamaica,’ WMO tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontan told a Geneva press briefing.

‘For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure.’

Hurricane Melissa could affect 1.5 million people in Jamaica alone, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Tuesday, warning of a ‘massive impact’.

‘1.5 million people may be impacted,’ Necephor Mghendi, the IFRC’s head of delegation for the English-and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, told reporters in Geneva from Trinidad and Tobago, warning that number could be ‘an underestimate’.

Prime minister Andrew Holness has said Jamaica’s infrastructure is unable to withstand a Category 5 storm ahead of Melissa making landfall later today.

Parts of Jamaica could see rainfall of up to 40 inches and a ‘life-threatening storm surge’ which could cause landslides and flooding, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm of 2025, has overtaken Katrina to become the seventh most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, it has been reported.

According to Sky News, data shows the huge storm approaching Jamaica has an air pressure in its centre of 901 millibars (mb), just ahead of Hurricane Katrina, which reached 902mb.

Melissa’s maximum 175mph sustained windspeed also matches Katrina which devastated the US Gulf coast in 2005.

Katrina caused an estimated $125bn (£94bn) worth of damage and killed 1,392 people when it made landfall near New Orleans.

British tourists in Jamaica have been told to prepare as the island’s strongest storm on record closes in.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has set up a crisis centre ready to help Britons on the Caribbean island and the Royal Navy ship HMS Trent is already in the region on stand-by.

Around 5,000 British nationals are on the island, reports have said.

UK travel trade organisation Abta warned British tourists in Jamaica to monitor local news.

The international airports in Jamaica are now closed as a precaution until the storm passes. Travel providers are liaising with their suppliers locally and providing advice and assistance to their customers.

Customers currently in Jamaica are advised to monitor local news and should follow the advice of the local authorities, their accommodation and travel providers. Customers who are imminently due to travel to Jamaica should liaise with their travel provider and airline to establish if there are any changes to their travel arrangements.

A Jamaican official has told how some on the island are fearful of leaving their homes during Hurricane Melissa in case they are raided.

Arthel Colley, a councillor in Westmoreland, the westernmost parish in Jamaica, told the Jamaica Observer that some are refusing to leave their houses despite fears they would not withstand the storm when it makes landfall.

He said efforts had been made to move some residents to shelters but that it had proved futile.

‘Nobody doesn’t wants to leave their house because they are fearful that people will steal their stuff,’ said Mr Colley, who is a retired police officer.

A meteorologist has warned some communities in Jamaica could be cut off for weeks as a result of Hurricane Melissa with fears growing over how aid can be delivered to the worst affected areas.

AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said infrastructure damages could hamper the arrival of emergency supplies.

Tens of thousands of families are facing hours of extreme wind gusts above 100 mph and days of relentless, torrential rainfall.

Slow-moving major hurricanes often go down in history as some of the deadliest and most destructive storms on record. This is a dire situation unfolding in slow motion.

Jamaica has seen many large hurricanes in the past, including Category 4 Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, but a direct hit from a Category 5 would be unprecedented, said Evan Thompson, of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service.

Melissa is moving much slower than Gilbert, Jamaica’s last major direct hit, Porter added, warning people should prepare to hunker down for days and some communities could be cut off for weeks.

If you’re just joining us, we are reporting live updates on Hurricane Melissa which is expected to make landfall in Jamaica today, bringing a potential catastrophic impact on the Caribbean nation.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Hurricane Melissa is on course to be the worst hurricane in Jamaica’s history when it makes landfall later today
• Tourists, some of whom are British nationals, trapped in Jamaica have been left in fear for their lives as the island braces itself for the world’s most powerful storm this year with forecasters expecting it to unleash catastrophic flooding, deadly landslides and 175mph winds.
• Melissa intensified to a Category 5 – the maximum strength – on Monday and has already begun lashing the coast with ‘life-threatening hurricane-force winds’ and damaging waves.
• The storm is expected to bring 40 inches of rain in parts of Jamaica over the next four days, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as resorts and hotels across the island prepare to take on the brutal force of the tropical storm.
• Jamaican officials have urged people to get to higher ground with resort restaurants and beaches completely shut off to the public
• However, some on the island say they are staying put despite Prime Minister Andrew Holness warning of catastrophic damage
• Seven people, three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, have already died in storm conditions

Fears are rising that a four-foot storm surge will leave a key Jamaican airport underwater, potentially leaving tourists stranded for even longer when the storm passes.

BBC science correspondent Thomas Moore explained the Norman Manley International Airport, which lies on the south coast of Jamaica, may be left flooded as the runway is just three metres above sea level.

‘If that is under a metre of water, even when the hurricane is gone, how quickly does that water dissipate?

‘How quickly can they get aid flights, doctors, emergency teams on the ground who haven’t been able to get in since the airport closed over the weekend?,’ he said.

Tourists trapped in Jamaica have been left in fear for their lives as the island braces itself for the world’s most powerful storm this year with forecasters expecting it to unleash catastrophic flooding, deadly landslides and 175mph winds.

As the hurricane hurtles closer, holidaymakers in Jamaica have been sharing updates on social media as they scramble for safety before Melissa makes its devastating landfall.

One tourist said she was ‘really scared’ and ‘praying for the whole of Jamaica’, while another revealed many were left feeling ‘anxious’ as they wait for in anticipation for the storm to hit.

Hotel staff across the island have been boarding up doors with wooden planks, taping windows, removing lights and clearing out pools as they attempt to limit the destruction Hurricane Melissa threatens to bring later today.

Holidaymaker Rebecca Chatman told BBC Radio 4 this morning that she ‘doesn’t feel safe’ as she scrambled to take shelter with her children at their resort just 30 minutes from Montego Bay.

Hundreds of British nationals could be trapped on Jamaica when Hurricane Melissa strikes today.

Andrew Tracey is staying at a hotel with what he believes is around 200 other UK residents, and says he has been placed into lockdown in his hotel room until at least Wednesday.

Despite his attempts to get out of the country before Melissa rages in, Mr Tracey, who only arrived in Jamaica on October 20, said his flight was cancelled and that there was ‘nothing we could really do’.

‘If I knew that the hurricane would hit while I was out here, I wouldn’t have gone at all,’ he told Sky News.

‘It’s hard to comprehend what we’re about to expect. I’ve never experienced any kind of hurricane, let alone a Category 5.

‘The tension in the hotel last night when we went down for dinner was definitely one of nerves, even locals.’

Hurricane Melissa is currently approaching Jamaica very slowly in a north-easterly direction through the Caribbean Sea.

Melissa is expected to make landfall early today and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.

After pummeling Jamaica, Melissa is forecast to cross over eastern Cuba on Tuesday night.

Fuelled by warm waters in the Caribbean Sea, Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a Category 5 cyclone while moving at little more than a strolling pace – a mix that experts warn could amplify its impacts through relentless rain, storm surge and wind.

Melissa jumped from a tropical storm with 70 mph (110 kph) winds on Saturday morning to a 140 mph Category 4 within 24 hours. It’s since developed further into a Category 5, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson, where even well-built structures face catastrophic damage.

It was the fourth of five Atlantic hurricanes this season to intensify in such dramatic fashion.

‘We haven’t had that many hurricanes in the Atlantic this season, but an unusual proportion of them went through a phase of intensifying quite rapidly,’ meteorologist and climate scientist Kerry Emanuel of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) told AFP.

While it’s hard to read the fingerprints of human-caused climate change into individual events, scientists are more confident when it comes to trends.

‘This may very well be collectively a signature of climate change,’ he said.

An academic at Nottingham Trent University has warned Melissa will be a storm unlike many others witnessed on Jamaica.

Dr Steve Godby, an expert in natural hazards in the University’s school of animal, rural and environmental sciences, said:

In 2007 I travelled to Jamaica with MapAction, a UK based NGO, to assist with the humanitarian response to Hurricane Dean. As a Category 5 storm, Dean had grazed the southern coast of the island and we saw informal housing in coastal districts levelled, trees stripped of leaves and branches and even concrete electricity pylons snapped.

Unlike Dean, Melissa is heading for a landfall close to major population centres and will bring severe threats to people at the coast and inland this time. It is the kind of storm few Jamaicans will have witnessed.

Some residents say they plan on staying put when Melissa hits

Melissa threatens to be the worst hurricane in Jamaica’s history, yet some on the island say they will believe it when they see it.

Jamaican officials have urged people on the island of 2.8 million to cooperate with evacuation orders, yet some are staying put, even as torrential rains and battering winds begin.

Jamal Peters, a 34-year-old front manager at a hotel in Port Royal, said:

Jamaicans on the whole aren’t the type of people who would just get up and leave their home. They’d prefer to stay. And if a window blows out or something like that they can be there.

Peters took up his post last month, and so far preparations at the 63-room waterfront hotel have involved moving guests to higher floors, battening down wherever possible, trimming trees and clearing out boats.

We are still bracing for impact. But for the most part, because this is not our first hurricane, Jamaicans would have been prepared for what’s to come.

Others said it was business as usual. Roy Brown, a plumber and tiler, said:

Evacuate? No, no. We’re not going to do that. Even if it’s Category 6, I am not moving. I don’t believe I can run from death. So whenever the Father is ready for me. I know he can take me, so I’m not running.

A man watches the waves crash into the walls in Kingston on Monday

As Hurricane Melissa draws closer to Jamaica, part of the storm’s punch stems from its slow pace with it lumbering along at just three miles per hour.

That means areas in its path could endure punishing conditions for far longer than during most hurricanes.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of ‘catastrophic’ flash flooding, landslides and destructive winds that could cause lengthy power and communications outages, along with ‘extensive infrastructural damage.’

Up to 40 inches (one meter) of rainfall are forecast, with flash flooding and landslides expected in Jamaica as well as Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

A storm surge is likely along Jamaica’s southern coast, with waters potentially rising 13 feet (4 meters), along with ‘destructive waves.’

Here are the latest pictures we can bring you from Jamaica where the island is braced for Hurricane Melissa to hit today.

Images show fences torn down and trees uprooted as officials warn the island could face catastrophic damage when the storm makes landfall.

Hurricane Melissa strengthened into a category five storm on Monday

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Melissa was still 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Kingston late Monday, and reaching maximum wind speeds of 175 miles per hour.

The category five storm – which could be Jamaica’s most violent on record – is charting a painstakingly slow path through the Caribbean.

Melissa has already been blamed for three deaths in Jamaica, three deaths in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

Its heavy rains combined with intense winds could wreak devastation on par with historic hurricanes, including 2017’s Maria or 2005’s Katrina, which left indelible impacts on Puerto Rico and the US city of New Orleans.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is causing such massive storms to become increasingly common in the region.

Footage has emerged from the eye of Hurricane Melissa after a specially adapted plane operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) flew into the center of the storm.

Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm Monday as it drew closer to Jamaica, where forecasters expected it to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage after it makes landfall some time on Tuesday.

At that strength, it would be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began in 1851.

Footage shot in the hurricane’s eye show the eerie calmness with clear blue, sunny skies up above, while the thick cloudy eye wall can be seen swirling around in the distance.

At one stage, as the aircraft makes a turn around the eye, the stormy waters of the Caribbean Sea can be seen churning thousands of feet below.

Prime minister Andrew Holness has said Jamaica’s infrastructure is unable to withstand a category five storm as Hurricane Melissa barrels towards the island.

The storm was expected to make landfall early on Tuesday and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.

Hours before the storm, the government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage.

Mr Holness said the island’s western end faced the worst destruction.

‘I don’t believe there is any infrastructure within this region that could withstand a Category 5 storm, so there could be significant dislocation,’ he told CNN.

Jamaican officials urged the public to get to higher ground and shelters ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s expected landfall Tuesday, with the prime minister warning it could bring massive devastation

Prime Minister Andrew Holness told a press briefing that the evacuation was about ‘the national good of saving lives.’

You have been warned. It’s now up to you to use that information to make the right decision.

But despite pleas to evacuate, many Jamaican residents were staying put.

‘I am not moving. I don’t believe I can run from death,’ Roy Brown told AFP in Kingston’s seaside area of Port Royal.

The plumber and tiler said he was reluctant to flee because of his past experiences with the poor conditions of government hurricane shelters.

Fisherwoman Jennifer Ramdial agreed, adding: ‘I just don’t want to leave.’

Hello and welcome to the Daily Mail’s live coverage of Hurricane Melissa which threatens to bring chaos and destruction to Jamaica today.

Melissa – a category five storm – is expected to be the strongest to lash the island in its history with the government warning of possible catastrophic damage.

The storm was expected to make landfall early on Tuesday and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead of the storm, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the clean-up and damage assessment would be slow.

Stick with us for updates throughout the day.