Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm this year, is on the verge of hitting Jamaica, according to the National Hurricane Center. The Category 5 hurricane, boasting sustained winds of 175mph, is currently lashing 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 around midday local time (5pm GMT). Experts predict Melissa could become the most intense hurricane ever to strike Jamaica, bringing up to 30 inches of rainfall and 175mph winds.
The Met Office has suggested that Hurricane Melissa might impact the weather in the UK. A spokesperson informed Yahoo News UK that the hurricane is likely to lose its tropical characteristics in the North Atlantic and disperse as a distinct system later in the week. While there is a slight possibility that the remnants of Melissa could influence UK weather next week, any significant or disruptive weather occurrences are currently improbable. Nevertheless, the system could contribute to the persistently unsettled conditions already affecting the UK.
Following its devastation in Jamaica, Melissa is projected to head towards eastern Cuba on Tuesday evening (12pm GMT), where over 500,000 individuals have been evacuated from vulnerable areas. The storm will then progress towards the Bahamas by around 7pm local time (12pm GMT) on Wednesday, by which time it is expected to weaken to a Category 2 hurricane.
Melissa has already caused three fatalities 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. Around 25,000 tourists are currently present on the island.
The hurricane is anticipated to strike land as a Category 5 storm before weakening to a Category 4 as it traverses the island. Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, cautioned that it would be an extremely perilous situation, with the potential for total building collapses. He mentioned that the highest mountains in Jamaica could experience wind gusts of up to 200mph. Brennan further indicated that Melissa is expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba overnight on Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Subsequent storm-tracking maps illustrate Melissa’s trajectory into the North Atlantic, skimming the easternmost point of Canada. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness cautioned that there is no infrastructure capable of withstanding the storm’s conditions.
Experts assert that the climate crisis is exacerbating Caribbean hurricanes. Researchers at Climate Central observed that Melissa intensified rapidly while lingering over ocean waters 1.4C warmer than average, circumstances made significantly more likely by climate change.
The hurricane has been designated Melissa in accordance with the US National Hurricane Center and the World Meteorological Organization’s naming protocol for tropical storms. Names are cycled every six years and are only retired if a storm causes substantial devastation.