12 hours ago
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Hurricane Melissa has made a devastating landfall in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 storm, unleashing 120mph winds and torrential rain along the island’s southern coast. Thousands of British tourists and residents have found themselves stranded after flights were cancelled and airports closed, as the storm, described by experts as the “storm of the century”, tore through Jamaica and moved toward Cuba.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed the storm hit early on Wednesday morning, battering the province of Santiago de Cuba and nearby areas already reeling from days of preparation and fear. More than 700,000 people have been evacuated from coastal and low-lying regions, as authorities warned of “life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and landslides” across eastern Cuba.
Melissa’s arrival in Cuba came less than 24 hours after the storm tore through Jamaica, where it left at least three people dead and caused catastrophic damage to homes, roads and power lines. In total, at least seven people across the Caribbean have lost their lives so far, three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic. The NHC said the storm will continue to pose a major threat as it tracks northward toward the Bahamas and potentially near Bermuda in the coming days.
7 mins ago09:53 Lauran O'Toole
Hurricane Melissa ranked as third most intense hurricane
Hurricane Melissa has been ranked as the third most intense hurricane observed in the Caribbean after Wilma in 2005 and Gilbert in 1988 – the last major storm to make landfall in Jamaica, acording to Meteorologists at AccuWeather.
"It's a catastrophic situation," the World Meteorological Organization's tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontan told a press briefing, warning of storm surges up to 4 meters high. "For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure."
Hurricane Melissa named 'storm of the century' (Image: Getty)
23 mins ago09:37 Lauran O'Toole
735,000 people evacuated
Cuban authorities have said that 735,000 people have been evacuated so far
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Melissa, which it described as an “extremely dangerous hurricane”, had weakened to a category 3 storm before it made landfall in Santiago de Cuba province on the island’s southern coast.
Cuban residents fled the coast as it approached, with local authorities declaring a “state of alert” in six eastern provinces.
735,000 people have been evacuated in Cuba (Image: Getty)
31 mins ago09:29 Lauran O'Toole
Hurricane Melissa now a Category 3 hurricane
Hurricane Melissa is now a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph sustained winds, just 80 miles southwest of Guantanamo.
The assessments of strength and location come from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Hurricane Melissa is now a Category 3 hurricane (Image: Getty)
46 mins ago09:14 Aditi Rane
8,000 Brits stranded in Jamaica
Around 8,000 British tourists are stranded in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa.
The island was hit last night by one of the world's strongest hurricanes, with meteorologists calling it "storm of the century"
Speaking in the Commons, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The FCDO stands ready to help British nationals 24/7.
"We have set up a crisis centre in the Foreign Office, including with support from the (Ministry of Defence), and also we are positioning specialist rapid deployment teams to provide consular assistance to British nationals in the region.
"Any British nationals who are there should follow our travel advice and the advice of the Jamaican authorities.
'There are 50,000 dual nationals who live in Jamaica, up to 8,000 British citizens who may be travelling there or may be on holiday there."
Around 8000 British tourists are stuck in Jamaica (Image: Getty)
50 mins ago09:10 Aditi Rane
Images of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa
More than 700,000 people have been preemptively evacuated with the storm on course to unleash catastrophic damage in Santiago de Cuba and nearby areas, after the storm devastated Jamaica on Tuesday.
Cuba faced a life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and landslides (Image: Getty)
Hurricane Melissa has been described as the "storm of the century" (Image: Getty)
55 mins ago09:05 Aditi Rane
Cuba brigades 'on standby'
Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel has said the country is ready for Hurricane Melissa to hit, with brigades on standby.
He said: “Multi-pronged brigades are already deployed in the eastern region of the country, that is, where the provinces most affected by the hurricane are located, to work on recovery from the damage caused by the hurricane.
“There are already electricity brigades, water resources brigades, communications brigades, and construction brigades that will work together with the forces in each territory to recover from the damage."
Miguel Díaz-Canel (Image: Getty)
57 mins ago09:03 Aditi Rane
Moment Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa has caused mass destruction in Jamaica, leaving at least three people dead. Thousands of others have lost their homes.
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