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At least 49 people have died after Hurricane Melissa swept through the Caribbean. The highest number of fatalities occurred in Haiti, where several people remain trapped in the rubble of buildings that collapsed in the south of the island after a river overflowed its banks, according to The Guardian, citing the Associated Press. The hurricane made landfall in Cuba this morning as a Category 4 storm (out of five) with sustained winds of over 200 kilometers per hour. The storm caused flooding, overflowing rivers, and landslides in the east of the island. In the south, a group of 17 families, including children and the elderly, had to be rescued, according to authorities. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reported extensive damage. The country has evacuated approximately 735,000 people and placed six provinces on alert. In Jamaica, Melissa has caused severe flooding, according to initial reports, which are being reported with difficulty, given that most of the country is without power. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told CNN that they have no confirmed casualties, but, given the hurricane's strength, he expects there will be some. The storm has caused damage to hospitals and roads and"significant" destruction to homes and businesses.
The Country
Hurricane Melissa has already left at least 49 dead in the Caribbean
The passage of Hurricane Melissa through the Caribbean has left, so far, at least 49 dead, reported the BBC, citing data from the AP news agency. Haiti suffered the worst consequences, with 40 dead and 10 missing, while in Jamaica – where Melissa became the worst storm in 174 years – the death toll reached eight. In the Dominican Republic, one death and one missing person were reported.
Published at: 20:01 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 20:15 CET 29/10/2025
El País
Six Bahamas islands ordered evacuated
The Prime Minister of the Bahamas ordered the evacuation of six islands—Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, Inagua, Mayaguana, and Ragged Island—in anticipation of Hurricane Melissa's approach. Around noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), the Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM) warned that, after leaving the east coast of Cuba, Melissa was moving toward the Bahamas, “bringing destructive winds, torrential rains, flooding, and dangerous storm surges.”
The rest of the islands are also on alert, which means that hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours.
Published at: 19:44 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 19:50 CET 29/10/2025
"Early warning failed in Haiti"
Hurricane Melissa reached its peak intensity this Tuesday in Jamaica, with winds of nearly 300 km/h and torrential rains. Authorities spoke of"catastrophic" damage and the "cyclone of the century" for the island. However, the next day we awoke to news of at least 25 deaths in Haiti, 200 kilometers away, where the cyclone's force was less severe. The explanation offered by academics is unanimous: the lack of early warning in Haiti. Barbara Tapia, technical coordinator for services at the World Meteorological Organization's Regional Office for the Americas, emphasized the importance of a country's preparedness for a cyclone."You can't prevent a hurricane from hitting, but you can work in a coordinated manner after receiving an early warning, allowing authorities and people to make informed decisions," she explained."In a country like Haiti, where there is no clear governance, it's difficult to make decisions." Haiti is mired in one of the continent's worst security crises, with gangs controlling 90% of the capital. Nearly 4 million Haitians lack access to clean water, and 3.3 million children require humanitarian assistance. In a nation cornered by violence and forced migration, coordination during a cyclone like Melissa was virtually impossible. Tapia insists:"Even if the hurricane doesn't pass directly over the island, and even stays far away, the damage to people and infrastructure will be greater, since other countries, like Cuba [which evacuated 735,000 people], have organized systems and certain resources."
Published at: 18:38 CET 29/10/2025El País
"Melissa is a brutal reminder of the cost of the climate crisis"
Simon Stiell, UN Executive Secretary for Climate Change, expressed his solidarity with the Caribbean in a personal and forceful tone."Just before Melissa, some communities in Jamaica were still recovering from Hurricane Beryl last year, which devastated my home island of Carriacou in Grenada. I know all too well how much it hurts and how much it costs to rebuild and recover from the brutal costs of the global climate crisis," he explained on his social media. These megastorms, he insisted, are a"brutal reminder of the need to intensify climate action" on all fronts."Fully meeting the Paris Agreement is not only our best chance, it is our only option for self-preservation," he concluded.
Published at: 17:47 CET 29/10/2025 El País77% of Jamaica without electricity
The Minister of Education, Dana Morris Dixon, warned that 77% of the country is without electricity and nearly 10% of water systems have been affected by the hurricane, although they expect this percentage to increase. In a press conference, Morris asked supermarkets, gas stations, and pharmacies to reopen as soon as possible,"particularly in the areas that have been less affected," to ensure access to essential goods for the affected communities."When we give them the green light, they should begin reopening operations," he explained. Published at 5:06 PM CET 10/29/2025 and modified at 5:29 PM CET 10/29/2025 El País Update | Death toll rises to 25 in Haiti Hurricane Melissa has left at least 25 dead in the port of Petit-Goâve, in southern Haiti, after a river in the area overflowed. According to Europa Press, a dozen of the deceased were children. Several people remain trapped in collapsed homes in the same area, according to The Guardian, citing the AP news agency. Published at 16:51 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 17:24 CET 29/10/2025 El País
US to send rescue teams to the Caribbean
The US State Department will send a disaster response team and an urban search and rescue team to help after the “catastrophic damage” left by Hurricane Melissa, according to a statement released on social media. They added that these teams are already coordinating with the affected countries to determine the level and type of assistance required.Published at: 16:13 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 17:27 CET 29/10/2025
El PaísAt least ten dead and several missing in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa passes through the Caribbean
At least ten people have died and several are missing in Petit-Goâve, in southern Haiti, after the La Digue River, which runs through the city, overflowed its banks following Hurricane Melissa's passage through the Caribbean, local authorities reported Wednesday.Dozens of houses have collapsed and, as of this morning, some people were still trapped under the rubble, according to available information. (EFE)
Published at: 15:24 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 15:27 CET 29/10/2025 El País
The United Kingdom will allocate almost three million euros to the Caribbean recovery after the hurricaneThe United Kingdom has announced that it will allocate 2.5 million pounds sterling (2.8 million euros) in emergency humanitarian aid funds to support the recovery of the Caribbean region after Hurricane Melissa, with support specifically directed to Jamaica.
The aid package includes, as confirmed by the government, the rapid delivery of shelter kits, water filters, and blankets. Aid has already been deployed to the island of Antigua to facilitate its rapid delivery.Hurricane Melissa
struck Cuba early Wednesday, hours after causing devastation in Jamaica as the strongest storm ever recorded in that Caribbean island nation. (Reuters)Published at: 14:52 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 15:16 CET 29/10/2025
El País
“I ask our people to maintain discipline and remain safely sheltered,” says the president of Cuba
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has denounced “extensive damage” left by Hurricane Melissa on the island, which is still over Cuba, and has reiterated his request to the population to “maintain discipline and remain safely sheltered.” In another message on the social network X, Diaz-Canel stated that “the situation remains under control” and that the authorities have prepared for the “worst-case scenario.” The hurricane, which is expected to finish crossing Cuban territory soon, has weakened to a Category 2 (out of five) on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Published at: 14:33 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 14:36 CET 29/10/2025 El País Starmer declares they are prepared to “provide humanitarian aid” to Jamaica British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes of destruction in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa on Wednesday as “truly shocking” and stated that the United Kingdom is prepared to “to provide humanitarian aid.”
Stamer has reported that the British offshore patrol vessel “HMS Trent,” and specialized rapid deployment teams, are already in the region to provide support.The hurricane caused widespread flooding, landslides, and severe damage to Jamaica's infrastructure. (EFE)Published at: 13:51 CET 29/10/2025
“Early indications show it was a disaster,” warns the Red Cross after ‘Melissa’ passes through Jamaica“We are waiting for dawn in Jamaica so that teams can assess the full extent of the damage, but early indications show that Hurricane Melissa was a catastrophic disaster of unprecedented proportions for the island,” said the head of the British Red Cross global response, Alexander Pendry, in an official statement. “The humanitarian needs are serious and urgent,” said Pendry, who explained that the priority is search and rescue. Melissa, which made landfall in Jamaica this Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane (the highest on the scale), is the strongest to hit the island in its recent history. Published at: 13:15 CET 29/10/2025 El País The hurricane moves towards eastern Cuba and is expected in the Bahamas with powerful winds. Hurricane Melissa is moving over eastern Cuba, where populations are advised to remain in “a safe shelter,” as there will be “storm surges.”"Cyclonic storms, flash flooding, and landslides," according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). The NHC indicated that the Bahamas will be affected by life-threatening hurricane-force winds this Wednesday.
Published at: 12:15 CET 10/29/2025 and modified at 12:37 CET 10/29/2025
El País
The Pope urges all possible assistance for those affected by Hurricane Melissa. “In recent days, Hurricane Melissa has struck Jamaica, a storm of catastrophic power causing violent flooding. At this time, it is crossing Cuba, forcing the evacuation of thousands and devastating homes, infrastructure, and several hospitals,” Pope Leo XIV declared. The pontiff urged authorities to “do everything possible” for those affected, at the close of his general audience in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope expressed his closeness to the affected populations, praying “for those who have lost their lives, for those who have fled, and for those communities who, awaiting the storm’s progress, are experiencing hours of anxiety and worry.” (EFE)
Published at: 12:00 CET 29/10/2025El País
The hurricane causes flooding, river overflows and landslides in eastern Cuba
Hurricane Melissa, a Category 3 (out of 5) on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is causing flooding, river overflows and landslides in the eastern part of the island, according to preliminary official reports.
The first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Santiago de Cuba has reported on the rescue efforts for a group of 17 family members, including"children and the elderly," who were trapped in a house in the town of El Cobre (east of the island).
In the city of Santiago de Cuba itself, the second most populated municipality in Cuba, flooding has been reported in multiple areas, such as Avenida Patria, Plaza de la Revolución, the oil factory and Avenida de las Américas, according to various sources.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has called for responsibility and caution from the population, and warned that this “will be a very difficult night” for the entire country.
According to the Meteorological Institute (Insmet) of Cuba, Melissa is crossing eastern Cuba from south to north with maximum sustained winds of 193 kilometers per hour and leaving intense rainfall, which can reach accumulations of 450 millimeters (or liters per square meter) in some places.
The hurricane made landfall at 3:10 local time (8:10 in mainland Spain) in the municipality of Chivirico (east) and is currently moving at about 35 kilometers per hour.
After six to eight hours on land, the forecast estimates that Melissa will reach the sea near the municipality of Banes (northeast), although its effects will continue to be felt in Cuba for another eight to ten hours. (EFE)
Published at: 11:44 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 12:23 CET 29/10/2025
El PaísJamaica fears hurricane may have left victims but has no data yet
Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness has indicated that the government has not received confirmed reports of deaths, but, given the strength of the hurricane and the magnitude of the damage, “we fear there may be some loss of life.” Holness continued: “The reports we have received so far include damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential, housing, and commercial properties, as well as damage to our road infrastructure,” Holness told CNN after the passage of Melissa. Local media have reported at least three deaths in Jamaica during pre-storm preparations. In southwest Jamaica, St. Elizabeth Parish has been “underwater,” according to an official, with more than 500,000 residents without power. “Our country has been devastated by Hurricane Melissa, but we will rebuild and we will do better than before,” Prime Minister Holness declared on Wednesday. Melissa’s winds weakened as it passed over Jamaica’s mountains, battering highland communities vulnerable to landslides and Floods.In the Bahamas, next in Melissa's northeastward path after Cuba, the government has ordered evacuations in the southern areas of the archipelago. (Reuters)
Published at: 11:33 CET 10/29/2025 and modified at 11:45 CET 10/29/2025 El País‘Melissa’ advances towards the Bahamas with winds of 185 kilometers per hour and leaves a “dangerous storm surge” in CubaHurricane Melissa
is located 370 kilometers south of the center of the Bahamas, and its winds maintain a speed of 185 kilometers per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). The NHC added that Melissa is causing destructive winds, torrential rains and flooding, as well as a “dangerous storm surge,” as it moves at 19 kilometers per hour over eastern Cuba. Melissa is expected to “remain a powerful hurricane” as it moves through the Bahamas and also when it approaches Bermuda on Thursday night. Strong winds maintain hurricane warnings today over the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín and Las Tunas; as well as over the southeastern and central Bahamas. (EFE)Published at: 10:13 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 10:35 CET 29/10/2025 El País
“One of the worst periods” suffered by Jamaica due to Hurricane Melissa
Jamaican authorities are beginning to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall on the island on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, one of the most violent hurricanes ever recorded. Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and second-in-command of the disaster management agency, reported that the country has gone through “one of its most difficult periods” with the hurricane's impact. “Across the country, almost every district is experiencing road closures, downed trees and power lines, and flooding in many communities. Jamaica has gone through what I can only describe as one of its worst periods,” he said. Half a million people are without power.
Previously, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holmes said that “the reports we have so far include damage to hospitals, residential and commercial properties, and road infrastructure.” Although there was no confirmation of fatalities yet, it was expected that there would be some.
Published at: 09:47 CET 29/10/2025El País
450 liters of rain and waves up to eight meters high in Cuba due to the arrival of ‘Melissa’The Cuban Meteorological Institute (Insmet) forecasts that Hurricane Melissa, whose center is moving at 17 kilometers per hour, will move northeast, with sustained winds of more than 200 kilometers per hour, rainfall that could reach up to 450 liters per square meter, and storm surges with waves up to eight meters high.
After six to eight hours over the island, the forecast estimates that Melissa will move out to sea through the municipality of Banes (northeast), although its effects will continue to be felt in Cuba for another eight to ten hours.Published at: 09:31 CET 10/29/2025
El País
‘Melissa’ makes landfall in Cuba and weakens to Category 3, with winds of nearly 200 kilometers per hour
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday morning near the town of Chirivico, in the southeast of the country, about 90 kilometers west of Santiago de Cuba. It made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, and as soon as it touched down and lost its fuel source—the warm waters of the Caribbean—it dropped to Category 3, with sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 260 km/h, according to the US National Hurricane Center's latest report.Published at: 08:25 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 08:44 CET 29/10/2025
El País
Díaz-Canel, on Melissa's arrival:"It will be a very difficult night for all of Cuba."
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned on Tuesday, just hours before the direct impact of powerful Hurricane Melissa on the eastern part of the island, that this “will be a very difficult night” for the entire country.
Melissa, which previously crossed Jamaica as a Category 5 (out of 5) hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale and then weakened to Category 3 before rising again to Category 4, is moving across the Caribbean Sea towards eastern Cuba, where it is expected to make landfall after midnight, with strong winds and heavy rain.
“We just checked with the provinces on the measures in place in anticipation of Melissa. The number of evacuees has risen to over 735,000, and work is still underway,” Díaz-Canel said.
The latest estimates predict it will make landfall in the municipality of Guamá (southeast), near the town of Chivirico, and leave the country six to eight hours later in the municipality of Banes (northeast). Its effects are expected to continue to be felt in the country for another eight to ten hours.
It is likely to arrive as a Category 4 storm, according to forecasts, moving northeast with sustained winds of more than 200 kilometers per hour, heavy rains that could leave up to 450 millimeters (liters per square meter), and storm surges with waves up to eight meters high.
The effects are feared to be devastating. Cuban authorities have warned that this is an"extremely dangerous" system due to the likelihood of flash flooding, sea surges into low-lying coastal areas, landslides, and even dam failures.
Published at 04:39 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 07:20 CET 29/10/2025
El País'Melissa' regains strength and rises back to Category 4 as it approaches Cuba
The latest advisory from the US National Hurricane Center, issued at 11:00 pm EST, has warned that Melissa “is regaining strength as it approaches eastern Cuba” and has risen back to Category 4. The hurricane is expected to make landfall “as an extremely dangerous major hurricane within the next few hours.”
Meanwhile, Jamaica has moved from a hurricane warning to a tropical storm warning, as conditions are slowly improving in the area.
Melissa has already demonstrated how quickly it can intensify over warm waters, and continues to feed on the same fuel. Despite moving inland, life-threatening flooding and destructive winds will continue well into Wednesday morning in eastern Cuba.
Published at: 04:23 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 04:24 CET 29/10/2025
El País
No one in the Caribbean is surprised by the arrival of hurricanes in October. In Cuba, early warning messages were issued days ago, vulnerable areas were identified, and a relocation plan was prepared in the eastern part of the island; Jamaica closed its airports, mandated the evacuation of the most exposed population, and opened mass shelters... But Hurricane Melissa, which the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has described as"the storm of the century for Jamaica" even before hitting the Caribbean island, has forced the use of superlatives to the extreme.
Published at: 03:58 CET 29/10/2025
Hurricane Melissa weakens to Category 3 as it approaches southeastern Cuba
Over the waters separating Jamaica from Cuba, Hurricane Melissa has weakened to a Category 3 hurricane, although it is expected to remain a powerful hurricane, with maximum sustained winds near 205 km/h and stronger gusts, according to the latest advisory issued by the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
As of early Tuesday evening, Melissa is moving toward eastern Cuba and conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly during the next few hours, according to the NHC.
The core of Melissa is expected to move over eastern Cuba late tonight and early Wednesday, which"It will cross the southeastern or central Bahamas later on Wednesday and approach Bermuda on Thursday and Thursday night," the meteorological agency's bulletin continues.
Published at: 01:48 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 02:05 CET 29/10/2025
El País
Jamaica will spend the night without electricity and amid widespread floodingThe Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, announced at a press conference held Tuesday evening that, as of 4 p.m., the latest time for which data was available, more than 530,000 customers — approximately 77% of the customer base of the electric company Jamaica Public Service — were without power The minister assured that restoration work is underway, prioritizing hospitals and water pumping stations to maintain essential services. McKenzie warned that most Jamaicans will spend Tuesday night without electricity amid widespread flooding, downed power lines, and blocked roads. He added that the parish of St. Elizabeth—one of the country's 14 administrative subdivisions—in the west of the island, where the eye of the hurricane passed around midday on Tuesday, is"under water." He also stated that there are no official reports of deaths at this time. Published at: 01:12 CET 29/10/2025
Carla Gloria Colomé
Evacuations in Cuba proceed amid limitations and latent fear
With the apparent yet anxious calm typical of hurricane season, Cubans await the arrival of Melissa, which is expected to make landfall Tuesday night in the eastern part of the island and could exit early Friday morning as the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the country. “The fear is imminent; we are very scared,” says Maydelis Solano from her home in Bayamo, in eastern Cuba. “We are very distressed and fearful of what might happen in the coming hours,” she added.
By Tuesday morning, heavy rain was already falling on Bayamo. “The weather here has started to deteriorate; it’s already raining,” Solano said. Since the previous day, she had been able to store water for drinking. The electricity service is cut off every four hours, but the most worrying thing during hurricane season is food. “In the Bayamo bodegas, they didn't supply anything to consumers, so everyone has to survive on whatever they can find,” she says. As a preventative measure, Cuban authorities have begun early evacuation efforts in a country with a significant housing crisis. In Santiago de Cuba alone, the second largest city, some 169,000 people had been evacuated by Tuesday morning to 101 shelters and to the homes of people who have offered to take in families. The president of the Provincial Defense Council, Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, reported that priority had been given to at-risk areas such as coastal and mountain communities, and settlements near rivers and reservoirs. Officials on the island also discussed the use of caves to evacuate the rural population, a practice that has particularly offended Cubans, given the government's inability to guarantee more comfortable and safe places for everyone.
Published at: 00:23 CET 29/10/2025 and modified at 01:08 CET 29/10/2025El País
The first serious damage caused by 'Melissa' is beginning to be reported.
Jamaica's Minister of Health, Christopher Tufton, has confirmed that Hurricane Melissa has caused"significant damage" to at least four major hospitals in the country."A lot is happening and developing right now, so it's difficult to give details," the minister told the local newspaper, the Jamaica Gleaner.
Meanwhile, a press release from the Ministry of Health has reported that emergency protocols have been activated and some patients have been transferred as a precautionary measure.
Furthermore, lacking further details on the extent of the damage, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared the entire country a"disaster zone," anticipating that the island is devastated by widespread damage to infrastructure and catastrophic flooding.
Published at 23:09 CET 28/10/2025 and modified at 23:14 CET 28/10/2025
The CountryJamaica's mountains helped weaken the hurricane
According to the National Hurricane Center bulletin,Melissa has been weakening as it has passed over the western mountains of Jamaica, with the storm's defined eye disappearing and a slight warming of the tops of the most powerful storm clouds. These have been the key factors in the reduction to a Category 4 hurricane, although this does not mean that the hurricane is any less dangerous, as intense rains will continue throughout Tuesday and, on land already saturated after weeks of heavy rainfall, the potential for flooding and landslides is very high.
Hurricane hunter aircraft are scheduled to investigate the storm this afternoon to gather better information on how and how much the hurricane has weakened. This information will also be key to clearly placing the storm in the historical ranking of Atlantic storms. Published at 22:58 CET 28/10/2025 and modified at 23:07 CET 28/10/2025
