Hurricane Melissa Lashes Cuba with 120mph Winds
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Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba, bringing 115mph winds and heavy rain, with warnings of "life-threatening" storm surges
Melissa was the strongest storm to ever hit Jamaica – people there are now waking up to assess the damage, with thunderstorms forecast
Earlier, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a "disaster area" and warned of "devastating impacts"
The normal soundtrack that accompanies Jamaican life is silent, writes the BBC's Nick Davis from Kingston
After hitting Cuba, the hurricane will move north-east towards the Bahamas and Bermuda
Are you in the path of the hurricane? Get in touch via email, external or WhatsApp +44 7756 165803, external
Edited by Tiffany Wertheimer and Matt Spivey, with reporting from Nick Davis in Jamaica
We're now seeing the first images of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, but other images have been circulating online.
Our colleagues at BBC Verify have been tracking fake images as Melissa sweeps across the Caribbean:
By Emma Pengelly, BBC Verify journalist
In one image posted yesterday, which claims to show devastation in Jamaica, debris can be seen flying. Items like ladders are strewn across flooded streets, palm trees are buckling in strong wind and building roofs have been torn off.
The post has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on different social media platforms.
One viral Facebook post comes from an account that identifies itself as sharing “AI visuals”. The post also says it is allegedly of a destroyed hospital in the coastal town of Black River, but the layout of the buildings and surrounding landscape do not match its hospital.
We also ran the image through Google’s deepfake detection tool and it found Google AI generation digital watermarks in nearly every part of the image.
There are also other elements of the image which indicate it isn’t real – like repeated patterns in the damaged palm tree leaves and possible inconsistencies in the buildings.
During major weather events we almost always find fake images and video surfacing online, so at times like these it’s important to check reputable sources for information before sharing.
We're now getting some fresh images from Jamaica's Montego Bay area, where Hurricane Melissa has left widespread damage.
The popular tourist destination is now surrounded by shattered roofs and debris on the roads – here are the latest pictures:
In Montego Bay, Jamaica, the island is waking up to extensive damage after being hit by Storm Melissa
The latest advisory from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the storm is continuing to move over eastern Cuba and will "soon emerge" into the southwestern Atlantic.
Melissa is moving at around 14mph (22km/h), with maximum sustained winds now near 105 mph (165 km/h), it says.
In its latest update, the NHC says:
Cuba: Hurricane-force winds are occurring within the warning area, and the eastern part of the country is likely to face life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding with numerous landslides. It is also warning of a dangerous storm surge.
Jamaica: The government of Jamaica has discontinued its tropical storm warning, but the island is expected to face ongoing catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides.
The Bahamas: Hurricane conditions are expected in southeastern and central parts of The Bahamas today. Flash flooding is expected from high rainfall in the south east, and a dangerous storm surge of five to eight feet above normally dry ground is possible today.
Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America and Caribbean editor, News Online
The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that preparations to protect life and property should be "rushed to completion" in The Bahamas.
As we've just reported, Hurricane Melissa is forecast to move across The Bahamas later on Wednesday with south-eastern and central islands most at risk.
Prime Minister Philip Davis has said that his government has taken all of the necessary steps to ensure that its response is "organised, resourced, and effective".
On Monday, the government issued an evacuation order for a number of islands in the south-east of the archipelago, which are predicted to be most at risk from Melissa.
In 2019, the archipelago was hit by Dorian, a category five hurricane, whose powerful winds, rain and storm surges left widespread devastation and killed scores of people.
Simon King
Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather
After clearing Cuba around lunchtime (GMT), Melissa will track towards The Bahamas this afternoon.
And even though the hurricane continues to weaken, it is still likely to be category two storm with sustained wind speeds of around 100-110mph as it bears down on the Bahamas this evening (GMT).
The path of the centre of Melissa is forecast to pass between Long Island and Crooked Island but hurricane-force winds and heavy rain will be felt more widely across the southeastern Bahamas.
National Hurricane Center forecasts suggest rainfall totals of 5-10 inches, with flash flooding possible along with the threat of a life-threatening storm surge.
Residents of the Bahamas are urged to find safe shelter and follow official guidance from local authorities.
Rozina Sini
BBC News
Yvonne Williams
I have spoken to Yvonne Williams, a teacher in Leeds, whose two sisters live in Jamaica – one in Kingston, the other one in Maypen, Clarendon.
“Ever since the storm made landfall at around 17:00 local time I haven’t been able to get in touch with my sister. I’ve been phoning her every two hours."
She was able to speak to one sister before the hurricane made landfall, but since then she hasn't been able to reach her.
“I kept waking up periodically through the night to try and get through," Yvonne says.
“The last time I spoke to her she said she wasn’t worried as she had prepared and cut down some trees so she wasn’t overly anxious. But she wasn’t sure how a category five storm might look.”
The eye of the storm is now making its way towards the coast of Cuba and away from the island
We've just been hearing from the British Red Cross, as humanitarian organisations rally in response to Hurricane Melissa.
They're waiting for dawn to break in Jamaica to assess the extent of the damage.
Alexander Pendry, the organisation's global response manager, says "early indications are that Hurricane Melissa was a disaster of unprecedented catastrophe for the island".
"News is already coming through that whole communities are under water and that the damage left by the strong winds has been devastating," he adds.
Pendry says the priorities are search and rescue and ensuring everyone has access to healthcare, safe shelter, clean water, food and other essential supplies.
"Tragically, experience tells us that the impact on communities and individuals will be shattering and long lasting. We will be here for as long as people need us.”Simon King
Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather
While Hurricane Melissa has cleared Jamaica and winds are substantially lower, there will still be some thunderstorms across the island.
The National Hurricane Center warns that an additional 3-6 inches (7-15cm) of rain is possible in parts, with up to 30 inches over mountainous areas.
Certain areas will remain flooded and there’s a risk of ongoing flash flooding and numerous landslides around mountainous regions that could continue into Wednesday night.
This is likely to make the clear-up and damage assessment quite difficult in the coming days.
A soldier helps evacuate an elderly woman before the arrival of Hurricane Melissa at Siboney beach, in Santiago de Cuba, on Tuesday
We're now seeing the latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), which gives a good indication of the widespread impact of Hurricane Melissa.
The hurricane is currently making its way across eastern Cuba, with "life-threatening storm surges, flash flooding, landslides and damaging winds" hitting the country this morning.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic are expected to see "catastrophic" flash flooding and landslides in some places today. The former, which is significantly less developed than its neighbour, is likely to see "extensive damage and isolation of communities".
In The Bahamas, the largest island of which lies around 400 miles north of Haiti, hurricane conditions are expected to produce life-threatening storm surges in the south-east and centre of the country.
Further east, tropical storm conditions and significant storm surges are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In Bermuda, around 1,000 miles away from where the hurricane is currently positioned, people are being warned to brace for hurricane conditions tomorrow.
Meanwhile in Jamaica, people are being urged to continue sheltering due to downed power lines and flooding. Storms are expected to continue today.
It's 06:00 in Jamaica, and the sun is rising.
We will soon start to get a clearer picture of the damage Hurricane Melissa has left behind.
We'll be keeping an eye out for all the latest updates and images, stay with us.Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America and Caribbean editor
The earlier arrival of Hurricane Melissa in the Communist-ruled island of Cuba prompted a message from the island's 94-year-old former leader, Raúl Castro.
Raúl Castro, who succeeded his older brother Fidel in office, told the National Defence Council that "we will again emerge victorious from this latest challenge".
Castro, who stepped down from the powerful position of First Secretary of the Communist Party in 2021, said "maximum discipline" would be needed to weather the storm.
Cuba's hurricane preparedness – the country conducts annual drills to prepare for disasters – has meant that it has in the past suffered comparably fewer hurricane-related deaths than other Caribbean nations.
The authorities prided itself on the fact that ahead of Melissa making landfall, more than 730,000 people had been evacuated to shelters.
But this hurricane catches Cuba at a particularly dire time. The island is in the grip of its deepest economic crisis in decades.
The country's antiquated power system collapsed several times over the past year, plunging the whole nation into darkness.
Key infrastructure is crumbling and there have been shortages of fuel – needed to operate generators – and medicines, all of which is going to make recovery from potential storm damage a lot more challenging. Simon King
Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather
As we reported earlier, Melissa is the most powerful hurricane on record to make a direct hit on Jamaica.
But, across the wider Atlantic, Melissa was noteworthy for the following:
Additionally, the Hurricane Hunters – who fly into hurricanes making crucial observations – measured an instantaneous gust of 252mph just above the ocean surface before landfall.
For context, this comes in marginally behind the world record for the highest wind gust ever observed in a tropical cyclone of 253mph during Cyclone Olivia, which struck Western Australia in April 1996.
Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter
Across Jamaica, there are several reports of roofs being ripped off buildings – like this one in St Catherine near Kingston
Verna Genus was sheltering in her four bedroom home in the village of Carlisle, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, when Hurricane Melissa ripped the zinc roof off her house.
The 73-year-old vegetable farmer was at her home on the west coast of the island with her sons and baby grandchild when the hurricane made landfall.
St Elizabeth is one of the areas worst hit by the hurricane – the wind and rain were howling loudly and there was no visibility outside.
Verna has lost communications due to the power lines being down, but she phoned her UK-based sister June Powell after the roof came off. I've been speaking to June this morning.
"She was crying on the phone," June tells me. She adds Verna told her: "You are huddled up inside and then you look up then the roof is gone.
"She was wailing 'we are all finished.'"
June hopes Verna found shelter elsewhere, though it was too dangerous during the hurricane to go out into the street. She is waiting for the phone networks to be restored so she can talk to her again.Simon King
Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather
Since making landfall near the city of Chivirico in south-east Cuba, Melissa has been moving north-east over eastern Cuba.
As a result of the rugged Cuban terrain and after encountering some drier air and wind shear – meaning changes in wind speed and direction with height – Melissa has been weakening slightly.
But with winds of 115mph, it still remains a category 3 hurricane and continues to bring damaging winds and dangerous conditions.
It will move back out to sea by around 08:00 local time.
Hurricane Melissa has been slow moving, travelling at 5mph, which is roughly walking pace – particularly during its intensification to category 5 before hitting Jamaica.
It has now picked up some forward speed and is travelling at 10-15mph, which is more typical for a hurricane.
The hurricane will pass through the central Bahamas later before tracking close to Bermuda late on Thursday, as a category 1 hurricane.
Nick Davis
Reporting from Kingston, Jamaica
The normal soundtrack that accompanies Jamaican life is silent because many people don't have electricity.
About three-quarters of the island is without power, and many parts of the western side of the island are either under water or have homes destroyed by the strong winds.
We don't know anything about casualties yet, as one of the main things you need to get up and running during a disaster is telecoms.
The storm has put real pressure on the phone systems, as many telephone polls and cell towers have come down.
The government is trying to put in place a plan to use satellite communication to improve their own communication on the ground. It is going to take physical assessments, helicopters going out, to assess what's needed.
It is expected that the airport here in Kingston is going to be up and operational to receive relief flights – but Montego Bay, one of the island's main tourist destinations, is a mess.
Jamaica has a catastrophe bond (a type of insurance for the country), which will hopefully allow people to get back on their feet – but the issue is what's done in the interim.
The average person here does not have the average safety net that you see in more economically developed countries.
A satellite image taken shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica
Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a category five hurricane on Tuesday, making it the strongest to hit the island in modern history.
A category five hurricane – the strongest on the scale – is one which meets the wind speed threshold of 157mph (252 km/h) or higher.
Hurricane Melissa's estimated maximum sustained wind speeds of 185 mph (295 km/h) were well above that threshold as it made landfall.
It weakened as it passed over Jamaica, eventually dropping to a category three when it made landfall in Cuba.
A category three hurricane is defined by the National Hurricane Center as a "major" hurricane that can cause "devastating damage".
The strongest storm to directly hit Jamaica before Melissa was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which made landfall as a category four hurricane, according to the US National Weather Service.
Santiago de Cuba, pictured yesterday, is the largest city in the east of the country
Damaging winds and heavy rain have hit eastern Cuba, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.
Flooding and dangerous storm surges caused by Hurricane Melissa are expected to hit the region, it says.
The storm is generating wind speeds of 115mph (185km/h), but travelling at just 12mph (19km/h) – that means it is staying over areas with these powerful winds for longer, potentially causing even more damage.
The epicentre of the hurricane is passing over Cuba at the opposite end of the island to Havana, the capital city.
The eastern region's largest cities include Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo – where hurricane warnings are in effect.
As Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Cuba, we're looking to speak to people who have been impacted by the hurricane or those who are worried for their loved ones.
If it is safe to do so, you can get in touch with us in the following ways:
In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.
Hurricane Melissa has made landfall in Cuba. The category three hurricane is hitting the south east coast of the country with sustained winds of 120mph.
In Jamaica, which was battered by the then category five hurricane yesterday, locals are waiting for daylight to assess the damage.
After hitting Cuba, the hurricane is expected to weaken as it moves north-east towards the Bahamas and Bermuda.
And in Haiti, to the east of Cuba, people have been seeking shelter in buildings such as schools. It is not thought that the eye of the hurricane will pass over Haiti.
Here's a look at the path of the hurricane, which is expected to travel away from the Caribbean islands later this evening.
A flooded street in the city of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on Tuesday
As we've been reporting, Melissa has made landfall in Cuba as a category three hurricane – yesterday it hit Jamaica as a category five.
The assessments of strength and location come from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
It uses the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, where a category one is the weakest, and category five is the strongest.
The categories are defined by the hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed – although individual gusts can be stronger.
For a category one the range is 74-95 mph (119-153 km/h), for a three it's 111-129 mph (178-208 km/h), and a five has a maximum sustained wind speed of 157mph (252 km/h) or higher.
As a reminder, the NHC said there were sustained winds of 120mph when Melissa made landfall in Cuba in the past hour.
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