World Meteorological Organization dubs slow-moving Melissa the ‘storm of the century’ as Cuba braces for impact.
Hurricane Melissa’s winds dipped to a still “powerful” Category 4 rating, as the eye of the storm passed over Jamaica with historic ferocity and barrelled towards Cuba.
The US National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday that Melissa had made landfall near the town of New Hope, 62 km (39 miles) south of Montego Bay, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), which are considered to be above the minimum strength of a Category 5 storm.
As the hurricane hit Jamaica with a Category 5 rating, forecasters had predicted it would likely cause “catastrophic” flash flooding, landslides and widespread damage, directly affecting up to 1.5 million people.
The United States National Hurricane Center urged Jamaican residents to rema
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