Over 200 British citizens are currently stranded in a Jamaican hotel due to the approach of Hurricane Melissa, a dangerous Category 5 storm heading towards the Caribbean island.
With sustained winds exceeding 157mph, Melissa, ranked at the top of the Saffir-Simpson scale for storm intensity, poses a severe threat of heavy rainfall and destructive winds to Jamaica.
Having already caused significant damage on nearby islands like the Dominican Republic and Haiti, resulting in at least six fatalities and displacing thousands, Melissa is forecasted to impact Jamaica with even stronger winds than seen in the neighboring areas.
Andrew Tracey, a British tourist who arrived in Jamaica a week ago, shared that he and around 200 other Brits are confined to their hotel rooms until at least Wednesday due to canceled flights amid the storm. Both of Jamaica’s international airports have been shut down since Sunday.
Expressing his concerns, Andrew mentioned to Sky News that he had never faced a hurricane before, especially not a Category 5 one, and described the tension among guests and locals in the hotel as nerves ran high.
According to Evan Thompson, the principal director of Jamaica’s meteorological service, Melissa could potentially be the most powerful hurricane to strike Jamaica in decades.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica declared the entire island a threatened area under the Disaster Risk Management Act, emphasizing the gravity of the situation as Hurricane Melissa approaches closer to Kingston.
Holness pointed out that preparations are in place, including open shelters, standby emergency teams, and allocated funds for various relief efforts and preparedness measures to mitigate the storm’s impact.
The UK Foreign Office issued a warning about Hurricane Melissa’s expected landfall in Jamaica, highlighting the potential for extreme rainfall, storm surges, and high winds, prompting the closure of Jamaica’s international airports.
Named in accordance with the established storm naming protocol, Hurricane Melissa is part of the rotating six-year cycle of storm names, with names only retired in cases of catastrophic impact.
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