By Zahra Burton and Maria Cardona
A storm surge before the arrival of Hurricane Melissa in Kingston, Jamaica, on 25 October. Photo: AFP/ Ricardo Makyn
Hurricane Melissa has developed into a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 220km/h (140 mph) and is expected to strengthen as it heads towards Jamaica, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) says.
Melissa is about 180km south of Kingston and expected to make landfall in Jamaica by their Monday night or Tuesday morning [Jamaica is 18 hours ahead of NZT], and to hit southeastern Cuba late Tuesday, the NHC said, with catastrophic floods, landslides and storm surges expected in the region.
During a press conference in Kingston on Sunday, authorities said both international airports were closed and 881 shelters have been activated around the country.
"Many of these communities will not survive the flooding," Desmond McKenzie, a local government minister, said at the press conference.
"Kingston is extremely low. No community in Kingston is immune."
Authorities said a decision on whether to issue a mandatory evacuation order would be made later in the day, while imploring residents to evacuate, with assistance being provided.
A man installs storm shutters at a business in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Melissa in Portmore, Jamaica, on 25 October, 2025. Photo: AFP/ Ricardo Makyn
Some residents, however, chose to stay put, and authorities said some have refused to board evacuation buses.
"We are riding out the storm, we're not going to go anywhere. Just sitting down and watch everything, make sure everything's working good," said Douglas Butler, a local boat captain in Port Royal. "Just take things easy. As long as I have my food, I can eat. That is the most important thing."
The NHC said Melissa is expected to bring 38 to 76cm (15 to 30 inches) of rain to Jamaica and the island of southern Hispaniola - which is part of Haiti and the Dominican Republic - with a local maximum of up to 101cm (40 inches). Eastern Cuba is expected to receive 25 to 38 cm (10 to 15 inches), with local amounts of up to 50cm (20 inches).
Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica's information minister, said the regional disaster agency, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, is ready to provide assistance, and several international partners have already pledged support.
"We will experience the intensity of the hurricane tomorrow night Monday going into Tuesday," Morris Dixon said. "This is rainfall we've not seen before."
A satellite image of Hurricane Melissa southeast of Jamaica at 03:30 UTC on 26 October. Rapid intensification is expected, and a worryingly slow course close to island populations. Photo: AFP/ Handout: RAMMB-CIRA
- Reuters
