Hurricane Melissa path latest: Category 5 storm tracking towards Jamaica as island authorities order an evacuation
Hurricane Melissa mapped as Jamaica faces catastrophic ‘storm of the century’
- Hurricane Melissa, a record-breaking Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of up to 175mph, is expected to make landfall in Jamaica early Tuesday.
- The storm is forecast to bring catastrophic flash flooding, numerous landslides, a life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves, with rainfall potentially reaching 40 inches in some areas.
- At least seven fatalities have already been reported across Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, with one person remaining missing.
- Jamaican officials have warned of unprecedented rainfall and extensive infrastructural damage, long-lasting power outages, and isolated communities, urging residents to evacuate to 900 available shelters.
- Melissa is set to be the most powerful storm ever to hit Jamaica, surpassing Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, and has caused flight cancellations, stranding hundreds of British travellers.