Hurricane Melissa, potentially the worst storm to ever hit the Caribbean, has made landfall in Jamaica.
The “life-threatening” hurricane is expected to bring up to 40in (101cm) of rainfall to some parts of Jamaica, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), as well as destructive winds of 160mph (260 kph) and the risk of major flooding. Cuba and the Bahamas are also forecast to be in Melissa’s path.
“Catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides are likely,” the advisory said. Melissa is expected to make landfall in St Elizabeth, which was also hit by Hurricane Beryl last year. It’s expected to be a Category 5 storm when it hits land, before weakening to Category 4 as it crosses the island moving north-northeast.
Nearly a quarter of a million people are without power in Jamaica, the country’s energy minster said on Tuesday.
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