Why Hurricane Melissa is so dangerous
44 minutes ago Share Save Rachel Hagan and Mark Poynting, Climate Reporter Share Save
Getty Images The storm intensified from a tropical system to a Category 5 hurricane in just one day
A very powerful hurricane is creeping towards Jamaica and is expected to be the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean island in modern history. Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 storm, is approaching the island's southern coast with maximum sustained winds of 295km/h (185mph) - the strongest on Earth so far this year. Those speeds are above those of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, one of the worst storms in US history. For a nation already living on the front lines of a changing climate, the threat is grave. So will the country withstand its impact?
How did the hurricane form?
Tropical Storm Melissa took shape last Tuesday before rapidly strengthening as it moved west through the Caribbean. A hurricane forms when warm, moist air rises from the ocean surface and creates a spinning system of clouds and storms. In the centre, air sinks, creating the eye, a calm, cloud-free zone surrounded by a wall of violent winds and rain known as the eye-w
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