The hurricane will move through southwestern Cuba on Wednesday morning and continue toward the southern and central Bahamas
Hurricane Melissa is located approximately 215 kilometers southeast of Kingston, capital of Jamaica, with winds exceeding 280 kilometers per hour, according to the latest report from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
On its predicted trajectory, the center of Melissa will directly impact Jamaica today, with catastrophic winds, flooding and storm surges, according to the NHC.
The hurricane will move across southwestern Cuba on Wednesday morning and continue toward the southern and central Bahamas.
Melissa’s maximum sustained winds are currently reaching 280 kilometers per hour (km/h) with even stronger gusts, remaining a Category 5 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Although fluctuations in intensity are expected, the NHC insists that the “cyclone will make landfall with devastating force, capable of causing complete structural damage in exposed and elevated areas.”
Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston recorded winds of 65 km/h and gusts of 83 km/h.
According to the NHC, in addition to the wind, the rain caused by the hurricane will be torrential, which could cause “potentially catastrophic” flash floods and large-scale landslides.
Additionally, the NHC indicated that there is a hurricane warning in effect for the southeast and central Bahamas, as well as the Turks and Caicos islands.
