Related videos:
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is dangerously approaching Jamaica and is expected to impact eastern Cuba between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The 20A bulletin from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in the United States indicated that at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), the eye of the cyclone was located at 16.3 degrees north latitude and 76.4 degrees west longitude, approximately 195 kilometers southeast of Kingston (Jamaica) and 450 kilometers southwest of Guantánamo (Cuba), with maximum sustained winds of 220 km/h and higher gusts.
Melissa is slowly moving west at 7 km/h, but it is expected to turn north and then northeast between Monday and Tuesday, placing it very close to or over Jamaica before heading towards southeastern Cuba.
Active alerts
- Hurricane alert for Jamaica, where catastrophic flooding and landslides are expected starting today and continuing in the coming days.
- Hurricane watch for the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín.
- Surveillance for the southwest of Haiti, from the border with the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince.
The NHC warned that Melissa could cause storm surges of between 9 and 13 feet (up to 4 meters) along the southern coast of Jamaica, accompanied by destructive waves. In Cuba, there is a possibility of a significant rise in sea levels in the eastern provinces.
Torrential rains and extreme risk of flooding
The weather phenomenon could bring between 15 and 30 inches of rain (up to 75 centimeters) to Jamaica and southern Haiti, with localized accumulations of up to 40 inches (more than one meter).
In eastern Cuba, between 150 and 300 millimeters of rain are expected, with peaks of 450 millimeters, which could lead to sudden flooding and landslides in mountainous areas.
Cuba on alert
Cuban and local meteorological authorities have urged people to take extra precautions, especially in the provinces under surveillance. The island's civil defense and meteorology services are preparing for a direct or very close impact from Melissa starting Tuesday night.
The hurricane is expected to maintain its intensity as a "major" storm (category 4) for at least 48 more hours before beginning a slight weakening as it approaches southeastern Cuba.
The NHC warned that the waves generated by Melissa will affect Haiti, Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and the Cayman Islands starting today, creating rip currents and dangerous waves for boats and bathers.
Filed under: