Three people have died in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa, the world’s strongest storm of the year and possibly the most powerful ever to hit the island bears down with devastating force.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa has intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, packing sustained winds of up to 175 mph (282 km/h). Meteorologists are warning of “catastrophic and life-threatening conditions” as the storm moves closer to the Caribbean island early Tuesday.
The hurricane has already claimed at least four lives in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, bringing the regional death toll to seven. Officials fear that number could rise as Melissa continues to strengthen and move slowly across the region.
Experts warn that the storm’s slow pace could exacerbate the danger, bringing prolonged periods of torrential rainfall, flash flooding, and severe coastal erosion. Emergency teams in Jamaica have been placed on high alert, with shelters opened across the island and residents in low-lying areas urged to evacuate.
Authorities continue to monitor the storm’s path closely as Melissa approaches, with forecasters calling it one of the most dangerous weather systems to threaten the Caribbean in recent years.
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