He Hurricane Melissa is very close to making landfall in Jamaica this Tuesday, threatening to devastating floods and 280 km/h winds that authorities warn will destroy the Caribbean nation's infrastructure. The storm category 5 —potentially the largest to hit Jamaica—has already caused seven deaths in the region, but officials are concerned that Many people ignore calls to evacuate.

He National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa was located about 185 kilometers from Kingston. Up to a meter of rain is forecast, with sea levels potentially rising by up to 4 meters on the southern coast. Many of the island's approximately 880 shelters remained empty Monday night despite evacuation orders.

“For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century so far.”, said Anne-Claire Fontan of the World Meteorological Organization. Melissa's slow nature—moving at a human pace—means that There will be no quick relief once it hits Scientists say human-caused climate change has exacerbated massive storms, increasing their frequency and intensity.

Below is minute-by-minute coverage of Melissa's progress: