Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm of the year, is on the brink of hitting Jamaica, according to the National Hurricane Center. This Category 5 hurricane, boasting sustained winds of 175mph, is currently causing havoc on the Caribbean island with flash floods and storm surges. Although still some distance away, the storm is rapidly approaching, with its eye expected to reach land by midday local time (5pm GMT). Meteorologists are predicting that Melissa could become the most intense hurricane to ever strike Jamaica, bringing potential rainfall of up to 30 inches and winds of 175mph.
The Met Office has raised concerns about Hurricane Melissa potentially impacting weather conditions in the UK. A Met Office spokesperson informed Yahoo News UK that the hurricane is likely to lose its tropical characteristics in the North Atlantic and fade away as a distinct system later in the week. There is a slight possibility that the remnants of Melissa may affect UK weather in the following week, but any significant disruptive weather appears improbable at this stage. Nevertheless, the system could help sustain the currently unsettled weather patterns in the UK.
Following its assault on Jamaica, Melissa is expected to head towards eastern Cuba on Tuesday evening (12pm GMT), where over 500,000 individuals have been evacuated from high-risk areas vulnerable to flooding and extreme winds. By Wednesday, around 7pm local time (12pm GMT), the hurricane is projected to progress towards the Bahamas, potentially weakening to a Category 2 storm by then.
The storm has already claimed the lives of three individuals in Jamaica and four in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimates that up to 1.5 million people in Jamaica could be impacted by the storm. Approximately 25,000 tourists are presently on the island, officials have stated.
It is anticipated that the storm will hit land as a Category 5 hurricane before diminishing to a Category 4 as it crosses the island. Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, cautioned that the scenario will be highly perilous, warning of potential total building collapses. Wind gusts of up to 200mph could be experienced in Jamaica’s highest mountains. Brennan also mentioned that Melissa is set to make landfall in eastern Cuba during Tuesday night or early Wednesday.
Subsequent maps tracking the storm indicate Melissa’s path through the North Atlantic, skimming Canada’s easternmost point. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has alerted that no existing infrastructure can withstand the storm’s severe conditions.
Experts have highlighted that the climate crisis is exacerbating Caribbean hurricanes. Research from Climate Central reveals that Melissa intensified rapidly due to lingering over ocean waters 1.4C warmer than average, conditions made significantly more likely by climate change.
The hurricane has been named Melissa in accordance with the US National Hurricane Center and the World Meteorological Organisation’s storm naming system. Names are cycled every six years, with retirements only occurring in cases of exceptionally catastrophic storms.
