Jamaica braces as Hurricane Melissa strengthens offshore

Al JazeeraCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by Lyndal RowlandsOctober 27, 2025 at 07:45 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Hurricane Melissa, a Category 4 storm with potential to strengthen further, is moving slowly towards Jamaica at about 7 kilometers per hour. As of Sunday night, the hurricane was centered approximately 205km south-southwest of Kingston and could bring up to one meter of rainfall, threatening flash floods and landslides. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for several communities in Kingston and surrounding areas due to the severe flooding risks. Jamaica's government is urging residents to take shelter as landfall is expected late Monday or early Tuesday. The US National Hurricane Center warns that the slow-moving storm could cause catastrophic damage due to prolonged heavy rainfall.

Key Topics & Entities

Cuba 50% Kingston 60% US National Hurricane Center ×270% Jamaica ×590% Hurricane Melissa ×6100%

Keywords

jamaica 100% hurricane melissa 100% category 4 storm 90% mandatory evacuations 80% flash flooding 70% slow pace 60% caribbean island nation 50% landslides 40%