Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica's west coast Tuesday with record-tying 185 mph winds, becoming the most powerful storm in the island nation's modern history. The Category 5 hurricane has killed at least seven people across the Caribbean and left widespread destruction in its wake, with roofs torn from hospitals, streets flooded, and nearly a third of Jamaica without power.
About 58,000 British nationals remain on the island, including 50,000 dual citizens and up to 8,000 travelers, as the storm batters communities with what meteorologists describe as catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surges. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Melissa is potentially the most severe storm ever to hit the country. [...] We are also positioning specialist rapid deployment teams to provide consular assistance to British nationals in the region."
Climate Change Fuels Monster Storm
Scientists directly link Melissa's explosive intensification to climate change, with ocean waters running 1.4°C warmer than average in areas where the hurricane rapidly strengthened. Professor Friederike Otto from Imperial College London explained: "The Gulf of Mexico has been very warm over the last months, in large part due to global warming, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, providing ideal conditions for hurricanes to become very intense."
Travel Warning Backlash
British tourists stranded on the island have criticized the lack of advance warnings from the UK government and travel companies. David Rowe, who paid £3,500 for emergency flights home before the storm hit, said: "It's all too late, their reaction and their response to the storm have been too late - after the fact. [...] This could have been prevented with better action from the UK government."
Jamaica's Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie issued urgent pleas: "Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave. Don't bet against Melissa. It is a bet we can't win."
The hurricane now moves toward Cuba, where the government evacuated nearly 900,000 people, before continuing to the Bahamas.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
