Hurricane Melissa live updates: Jamaica braces for Category-5 storm as death toll rises to 7

As of Monday night, Hurricane Melissa was centred about 150 miles (240kms) southwest of Kingston and roughly 330 miles (530kms) southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, according to the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

The system packed maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 kph) and was inching north-northeast at just 2 mph (4 kph) –a dangerously slow pace that threatens to prolong the storm’s impact.

“We will get through it together,” said Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s Meteorological Service, as the island braced for Melissa’s full force.

Near Kingston, Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps advisor, said most families were choosing to shelter in place despite government evacuation orders in flood-prone communities.

“Many have never experienced anything like this before, and the uncertainty is frightening,” he said.

“There is profound fear of losing homes and livelihoods, of injury, and of displacement.”

As night falls, power outages are spreading, trees are coming down, and rainfall is intensifying. Officials warn that cleanup and rescue efforts will be severely delayed by flooding and blocked roads.

“The time for preparation is all but over,” said water and environment minister Matthew Samuda.

Melissa has already left destruction in its wake. At least seven people have died across the northern Caribbean – three in Haiti, one in the Dominican Republic, and three in Jamaica.

Thousands have been displaced, crops destroyed, and homes inundated.

In Haiti, where more than half the population already faces crisis levels of hunger, the storm wiped out dozens of hectares of maize.

In the Dominican Republic, more than 750 homes were damaged and nearly 50 communities cut off by floodwaters.

As Hurricane Melissa barrels toward eastern Cuba, one of the locations squarely in its path is the UN Navy’s Guantánamo Bay naval base.

The US Navy has evacuated around 1,000 non-essential personnel from the base, leaving about 3,000 residents to ride out the storm.

According to American media, the base is equipped with hurricane shelters, emergency supplies, and backup infrastructure capable of providing water and power if the main systems fail.

“We’re monitoring the storm’s progress very closely and taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our personnel and the readiness of our bases,” said Commander John Hewitt, who oversees the installation.

Melissa also was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday as a powerful hurricane.

Located on Cuba’s southeastern coast, Guantánamo Bay faces the same peril as nearby Cuban provinces under hurricane warnings – including Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguín – where forecasters predict up to 20 inches (51cm) of rain and a dangerous coastal surge.

Cuban officials said Monday that they were evacuating more than 600,000 people from the region, including Santiago, the island’s second-largest city.

Jamaica’s prime minister Andrew Holness said he had been “on [his] knees in prayer” as he ordered the immediate evacuation of several vulnerable communities across the island.

He urged in his post on X that “every Jamaican to prepare, stay indoors during the storm, and comply with evacuation orders”.

“We will weather this storm and rebuild stronger,” he wrote.

“You have been warned. It’s now up to you to use that information to make the right decision,” he said during a briefing.

“I don’t believe there is any infrastructure within this region that could withstand a Category 5 storm, so there could be significant dislocation.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunters have found birds in the eye of Hurricane Melissa.

The Hurricane Hunters said in an alert Monday afternoon, “Birds in eyewall,” The New York Times reported.

Matthew Cappucci, a meteorologist from The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang, wrote in an X post Monday, “Most of these bird are trapped. Sometimes they can’t escape until the storm weakens, unless they encounter an island and can hunker down on land.”

American honeymooners have hunkered down in Jamaica for Hurricane Melissa.

Despite a Category 5 storm set to make landfall early Tuesday morning, Adam Simmons told CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “The vibes are still positive.”

Adam and Jordan Simmons arrived in Jamaica Tuesday and when Melissa became a hurricane on Saturday, there were no more flights out of the country.

The newlyweds are sheltering in place at their resort on the outskirts of Montego Bay.

“Obviously, the staff is trying to make sure that we’re okay, and then we’re trying to reciprocate that and make sure the staff is okay,” Adam said.

Jamaica is staring down what could be the most powerful storm in its recorded history and the strongest storm anywhere in the world of 2025 so far.

Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 5 system with sustained winds of 175mph (280kmph), is expected to make landfall on Tuesday, bringing with it catastrophic flooding, landslides, and widespread devastation.

Forecasters say Melissa’s intensity could make it the strongest hurricane to strike the island since records began in 1851.

The US National Hurricane Center warns of a storm surge up to 13ft (4m) in Kingston, threatening the capital’s critical infrastructure, including the main international airport and power plants.

“This can become a true humanitarian crisis very quickly,” said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather. “There is likely going to be the need for a lot of international support.”

Jamaica is bracing for Hurricane Melissa as the Category 5 storm is expected to make landfall early Tuesday morning.

A satellite image has shown lightning flashing within the eye of Hurricane Melissa as it moves across the Caribbean Sea on Monday.