Hurricane Melissa hits into Cuba after 'storm of the century' leaves Jamaican towns underwater

Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall in Cuba at any minute.

The hurricane, which has been dubbed the 'storm of the century', hit Jamaica yesterday (October 28) as a Category 5 hurricane — the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds exceeding 157mph.

As the devastating natural phenomenon hit the country, Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the country a disaster area.

He said in a statement shared on social media: "The government's first priority is always the safety and wellbeing of every Jamaican. We acted pre-emptively with the declaration of a threatened area when the system was approaching Jamaica.

"Hurricane Melissa, an unprecedented Category 5 system, is now here, making its way across the island. This warrants a new legislative provision under the DRMA [The Disaster Risk Management Act of 2021].

"Similarly, we must also continue to proactively maintain stability, protect consumers, and prevent any exploitation at a time when citizens are security food, water, and supplies."

Hurricane Melissa is the strongest storm to have ever hit Jamaica (CSU/CIRA & NOAA/Anadolu via Getty Images)

As of yesterday, 15,000 people in Jamaica were in emergency shelters and around 25,000 tourists remain there, according to NBC.

As Jamaica now deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the storm is now making it way to Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane. In an update shared this morning (October 29), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Melissa will soon hit Cuba.

The NHC said, per The Guardian: "Melissa is expected to make landfall soon along the southern coast of eastern Cuba as an extremely dangerous major hurricane.

"On the forecast track, the core of Melissa is expected to move over eastern Cuba through this morning, move across the southeastern or central Bahamas later today, and approach Bermuda Thursday and Thursday night."

Melissa has left parts of Jamaica completely flooded (RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images)

"Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph (205 kph) with higher gusts," it added.

The NHC has specifically issued warnings to the Cuban provinces Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas, and urged people to 'seek safe shelter immediately'.

According to CNN, more than 735,000 people have been evacuated in Cuba as Melissa approaches. The country could be subjected to 25 inches of rain in the mountains, which is causing concerns about potential flash flooding and mudslides.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel insists that Cuba is ready to launch recovery efforts as soon as Melissa arrives.

"There are already electricity brigades, water resources brigades, communications brigades, and construction brigades that will work together with the forces in each territory to recover from the damage,” Díaz-Canel said.