'It is getting really bad': Readers in Jamaica share pictures of shelters

We've been receiving messages from readers in Jamaica describing their experiences as Hurricane Melissa approaches via WhatsApp here.

Some say the electricity grid and internet are struggling as the winds pick up.

One said:

Here now in Ocho in the Royal Plantation the staff have been wonderful - making sure we are safe and catering for needs. Around 18 couples left, mostly Brits as no flights to UK. It's windy here but landfall has not happened yet. We have had no communication from the UK government or British Airways.

Another wrote:

Currently in a hotel in Montego Bay, it is getting really bad, power and internet struggling to stay on.

One added:

Conditions have changed dramatically. The winds have become extremely strong, and it's becoming increasingly frightening, especially as we're staying in a more rural, hillside area. Our return flight to the UK was scheduled for tomorrow, but we're currently stranded here due to the worsening weather.

One person shared a picture of what they have to eat, adding:

My brother and sister in law are at the Hotel Riu Palace in Montego Bay, winds really picking up now.

A reader who was in the British Virgin Islands when Hurricane Irma hit offered advice to those in Jamaica:

People must stay in hotel bathtubs, covered if possible. When the eye passes over all the wind and rain stops, the birds even start singing, but when the other side of the eye hits all hell breaks out - make sure people know this as it's tempting to think the storm has passed but the strongest winds will hit and in the opposite direction making debris into huge missiles - I'm talking V8 trucks as flying debris. 

One person in Jamaica shared pictures from the hurricane shelter on the ground floor of Moon Palace Jamaica, adding:

Currently around 50+ British in this hotel alone, all in fairly good spirits, hotel have in my opinion been amazing.

Another said they had been in a shelter all night, writing:

What's disappointing is to see the Americans been contacted by the government agencies offering support and contingency plans for evacuation should the airports be closed for a long period of time. The Germans and the French have had the same. Try and call the UK consulate or embassy or contact the UK government direct - NOTHING! We are an embarrassment. No contact to any of the British citizens here. Most of us have young children. It's shocking how bad the government is in comparison to other countries. The government should hang its head in shame. 

They also shared a picture of their shelter:

The Foreign Office has said it is closely tracking the hurricane and is ready to support British nationals in the region.

Britons on the Caribbean island are being urged to follow the guidance of local authorities, especially in the event of any evacuation orders, a spokesperson said.