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Hurricane Melissa, which became a Category 5 storm on Monday after rapidly intensifying over the weekend, is barelling towards with 165 mph winds. Its outer bands are already lashing Jamaica with wind and rain. Jamaica has already ordered evacuation of vulnerable areas, including parts of its capital Kingston. Officials had earlier urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone communities to seek shelter as the hurricane rapidly strengthened on the Saffir-Simpson scale. At a press conference in Kingston on Sunday, authorities announced the closure of both international airports and the activation of 881 shelters. "Many of these communities will not survive the flooding," said Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s Minister of Local Government. "Kingston is extremely low. No community in Kingston is immune." Prime Minister Andrew Holness later issued evacuation orders for Port Royal and six other high-risk areas, including Old Harbour Bay. "I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously," he said. "Take all measures to protect yourself." How Strong is Hurricane Melissa? According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa was located about 125 miles (205km) south-southwest of Kingston and 310 miles (495km) south-southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, on Sunday night. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 145mph (230km/h) and was moving west at 5mph (7km/h). The NHC said Melissa could bring up to 30 inches (76cm) of rain to Jamaica and southern Hispaniola – covering Haiti and the Dominican Republic – with some areas potentially seeing as much as 40 inches (1 metre). Experts warned that the combination of rapid intensification and slow movement could make Melissa one of the most destructive storms to hit the region in recent years. The hurricane centre cautioned that Jamaica should expect "extensive damage to infrastructure, power and communication outages, and the isolation of communities." Despite evacuation orders, some residents in the coastal community of Port Royal said they planned to remain in their homes. Ann Marie Chamberlain, 51, said villagers had made preparations and were confident in their safety. "Father God will protect us," she told news agency Associated Press. "All the boats have been pulled up, the roofs with zinc have been battened down … we are taking the necessary precautions." Another resident, Derrick Powell, 42, added: "I have never been to a shelter but residents who have been say they will never go back. Everybody is already preparing, we know what it is like. We have heard about Hurricane Charlie. I experienced Gilbert and all the other storms." What Will Be the Path of Hurricane Melissa? After passing Jamaica, Melissa is forecast to move toward Cuba by late Tuesday, bringing up to 300mm of rain, and then toward the Bahamas by Wednesday night. Cuba has issued hurricane watches for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin. The storm has already claimed at least four lives — three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic — with another person reported missing. In Haiti, authorities reported rising river levels, flooding, and a collapsed bridge in Sainte-Suzanne in the north-east. "The storm is causing a lot of concern with the way it’s moving," said Ronald Délice, a local civil protection official. In the Dominican Republic, officials said nearly 200 homes had been damaged, water systems disrupted for more than half a million people, and several communities cut off by floodwaters. Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the NHC, said: "Unfortunately for places along the projected path of this storm, it is increasingly dire." The Bahamas Department of Meteorology warned that Melissa could bring tropical storm or hurricane conditions to the south-eastern and central islands, as well as the Turks and Caicos, by early next week. Melissa is the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-normal season with 13 to 18 named storms. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.
