Men cover a car to protect it from Hurricane Melissa as the storm churns towards Cuba, after making landfall in Jamaica, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on October 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Hurricane Melissa barrelled toward eastern Cuba, where it was expected to make landfall as a major storm early on Wednesday (October 29, 2025) after pummelling Jamaica as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.
Authorities in Cuba had evacuated more than 7,00,000 people, according to Granma, the official newspaper, and forecasters said the Category 4 storm would unleash catastrophic damage in Santiago de Cuba and nearby areas.
A hurricane warning was in effect for the Provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas, as well as for the southeastern and central Bahamas. A hurricane watch was in effect for Bermuda.
On Tuesday (October 28, 2025) night, Melissa sustained winds of 215 kmph and was moving northeast at 15 kmph according to the U.S. National Hurricane Centre in Miami.
“The hurricane was centred about 175 kilometres southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and was forecast to move across the island through the night. The storm was expected to generate a storm surge of up to 3.6 metres in the region and drop up to 51 centimetres of rain in parts of eastern Cuba. Numerous landslides are likely in those areas,” said Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Centre in Miami.
The hurricane could worsen Cuba’s severe economic crisis, which has already led to prolonged power blackouts, fuel shortages, and food shortages.
“There will be a lot of work to do. We know there will be a lot of damage,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a televised address, in which he assured, “No one is left behind and no resources are spared to protect the lives of the population.” At the same time, President Díaz-Canel urged the population not to underestimate the power of Melissa, “the strongest ever to hit national territory”.
Provinces from Guantánamo — in the far east — to Camagüey, almost in the centre of elongated Cuba, had already suspended classes on Monday (October 27).
As Cuba prepared for the storm, officials in Jamaica prepared to fan out on Wednesday (October 29) to assess the damage.
People walk along a road during the passing of Hurricane Melissa in Rocky Point, Jamaica, on October 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in southern Jamaica and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “under water,” said Desmond McKenzie, Deputy Chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.
The storm also damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients, Mr. McKenzie said.
More than half a million people were without power as of late Tuesday (October 28) as officials reported that most of the island experienced downed trees, power lines, and extensive flooding.
The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports as early as Thursday (October 30) to ensure the quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.
The storm already was blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.
Published – October 29, 2025 05:04 pm IST
