Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm this year, is on the verge of reaching Jamaica, as confirmed by the National Hurricane Center. This Category 5 hurricane, boasting sustained winds of 175mph, is currently lashing the Caribbean island with flash floods and storm surges, the US agency reported. Although still some distance away, the storm is rapidly approaching, anticipated to hit land around midday local time (5pm GMT). Meteorologists predict that Melissa could become the most intense hurricane ever to strike Jamaica, bringing up to 30 inches of rainfall accompanied by 175mph winds.
The Met Office has indicated 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 features in the North Atlantic and dissipate as a distinct system later this week. There is a slim possibility that the remnants of Melissa could affect UK weather in the upcoming week, though the situation will become clearer as the time approaches. Despite this, any significant or disruptive weather patterns seem improbable at present, although the system could contribute to sustaining the prevailing unsettled conditions in the UK.
Following the devastation in Jamaica, Melissa is anticipated to head toward eastern Cuba by Tuesday evening (12pm GMT), prompting authorities to evacuate over 500,000 individuals from high-risk regions vulnerable to flooding and severe winds. The storm is then projected to advance 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 resulted in 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, including approximately 25,000 tourists currently on the island. The storm is expected to hit land as a Category 5 hurricane, subsequently degrading to a Category 4 as it traverses the island.
Michael Brennan, the director of the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, cautioned that the scenario posed by Melissa would be extremely perilous, with the possibility of total building collapses. Brennan warned that Jamaica’s highest peaks could experience wind gusts of up to 200mph. He further stated that Melissa is likely to make landfall in eastern Cuba overnight on Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Maps tracking the storm’s course indicate that Melissa will head into the North Atlantic, skirting Canada’s easternmost point. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness alerted that the existing infrastructure would not be able to withstand the storm’s severe conditions.
Experts emphasize that the climate crisis is exacerbating hurricanes in the Caribbean. Researchers at Climate Central noted that Melissa underwent rapid intensification due to lingering over ocean waters 1.4C warmer than usual, conditions made significantly more probable by climate change.
The hurricane has been named Melissa following the naming system for tropical storms by the US National Hurricane Center and the World Meteorological Organization. Names are rotated in six-year cycles and are only retired if a storm causes significant devastation.