Overview
- Melissa now carries maximum sustained winds near 260 km/h and is drifting west at about 6 km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center.
- Catastrophic winds, storm surge and torrential rain are expected on Jamaica overnight into early Tuesday, with the NHC warning of life‑threatening conditions.
- Jamaica ordered evacuations in several areas including parts of Kingston such as Port Royal, while Cuba’s president reported thousands being moved from the island’s east.
- UNICEF says at least 1.6 million children across the Caribbean face heightened risk, as the Dominican Republic reports about 1.27 million people without potable water after damage to 63 systems.
- Haiti has recorded at least three deaths from earlier storm impacts, and forecasters caution that eastern Cuba, Haiti, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda could be affected next.