19:55

Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm in the world this year, hit Jamaica, and three people died.

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16:01

Hurricane LIVE

19:57

Musk temporarily enabled free Starlink for affected Jamaica and Bahamas

Starlink, the company that provides satellite Internet and is owned by Elon Musk, has announced that its services will be free in Jamaica and the Bahamas until the end of November.

"For all those affected by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and the Bahamas, Starlink service is now free until the end of November to aid in the rescue and recovery efforts," the company announced on Platform X.

About a third of Jamaica's population was without power this morning, according to official figures, while authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage.

19:55

Hurricane Melissa ravages Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa is currently producing"catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge" as it passes over Jamaica, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

According to the latest data, the center of the hurricane is located over the western part of Jamaica, after making landfall near the town of New Hope, and is now moving towards the northeast.

🚨🇯🇲 #BREAKING | NEWS ⚠️

Watch as a rooftop from a building of the Savannah La

Mar public hospital was lifted and ripped off as hurricane Melissa is slamming the 🌀Jamaican island with 180 mph winds that is destroying the Jamaican Island. pic.twitter.com/8X9klEebp1 — Todd Paron🇺🇸🇬🇷🎧👽 (@tparon) October 28, 2025

The wind speed was reduced to about 265 kilometers per hour, which is slightly less than the 295 km/h measured at the time of landfall.

"Further weakening is expected as the center lingers over Jamaica," the NHC said.

19:06

"Extremely dangerous and life-threatening storm"

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced that Hurricane Melissa remains "extremely dangerous and life-threatening", and that citizens are advised not to leave shelters until the eye passes the island.

This is Burnt Ground Santa Cruz in Jamaica now!



(Hurricane Melissa) pic.twitter.com/fLSPk3PZMQ — #كابتن_غازي_عبد اللتيف (@CaptainGhazi) October 28, 2025

Meteorologists warn that winds may temporarily calm as it passes around the hurricane, but will soon pick up again on the other side, once the center of the storm passes over land.

19:02

Prime Minister of Jamaica: Every hand in the reconstruction will help us

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement minutes after Hurricane Melissa hit the island.

In his first public statement since the storm began, Holness said the focus will now shift to relief and recovery once the worst of the hurricane is over.

He said a special website had been launched to collect aid, stressing that"recovery will require every hand that can help".

Holness reiterated that Melissa is a serious threat to the lives and livelihoods of Jamaicans.

"Together we must be ready to help families recover, rebuild their homes and rebuild their lives once the storm passes," the prime minister said.

18:32

After Jamaica, Melissa will hit Cuba and the Bahamas

Officials in other Caribbean islands are on high alert tonight as Hurricane Melissa hits Jamaica and heads north.

According to forecasts, Melissa will move toward Cuba as a Category 4 hurricane, while Cuban authorities have already evacuated more than 600,000 people from areas most at risk of strong winds and flooding.

The storm should then continue toward the Bahamas around 1 a.m. ET, at which point it should weaken to a Category 2 hurricane.

Bahamian authorities have also issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in several high-risk areas.

18:24

Hurricane Melissa hit the Jamaican mainland

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in New Hope, southwest Jamaica, packing the Caribbean island with winds of up to 297 km/h, making it the strongest recorded hurricane ever to hit the country.

Over the next few hours, the Category 5 hurricane will pass through Jamaica before continuing toward the east coast of Cuba, where it will gradually weaken.

🌪️ 🇯🇲Impactantes imágenes desde Kingston, Jamaica show los estragos del hurricane Melissa, que avanza por el Caribe con fuerza devastava.

🙏 Solidaridad con las familias afectas. #Huracan #Melissa

pic.twitter.com/JTjQQVIBdQ — Mónica Saade (@MonicaSaadeX) October 28, 2025

The US National Hurricane Center warns that up to 1,000 millimeters of rain could fall on some parts of the island, along with"life-threatening" waves and rising sea levels.

17:21

"Water enters our house through the roof"

Kabien, who owns a beauty salon in Santa Cruz, Jamaica, spoke to the BBC by phone and said she was unable to go to a shelter despite authorities urging residents to go there because the shelter was too far away and now, she says,"it's too dangerous to leave the house."

As she spoke, the howling of the wind could be clearly heard in the background, as well as the panic in her voice, writes the BBC.

"Water is coming through the roof of my house. I'm not well," said Kabien.

🇯🇲 Powerful Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is hitting the coastal city of Black River in southwestern Jamaica— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 28, 2025

He is at home with his wife and three small children, who, as he says, are"very, very scared".

"The wind blows the door open - I try to hold it with my hands, but the storm pushes it in," she added.

17:20

Storm tracking planes completed their last flights

Storm tracking aircraft have made their final flights through the eye of Hurricane Melissa before it makes landfall.

According to data from the FlightAware platform, a US military C-130 Hercules (call sign Teal75) from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron broke through winds of 200 mph and then circled inside the eye of the hurricane.

He was joined by the smaller US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Orion"Hurricane Hunter" aircraft, which flew straight through the center of the storm.

Both planes collected data on wind speed and atmospheric pressure using instruments on board, and they also dropped measuring devices into the atmosphere at different altitudes.

According to meteorologists, the flights are extremely turbulent and physically exhausting, but they are crucial for understanding the development of hurricanes and assessing their strength and possible consequences.