Hurricane Melissa: Jamaica braces for strongest storm on planet, ‘catastrophic flooding’ — Key things to know

Hurricane Melissa, now a powerful Category 5 storm, is barreling towards Jamaica with winds of stronger gusts of 175 mph, making it reportedly the strongest storm on the planet this year.

The rare storm has intensified further, and has already killed three people dead in Haiti and one person in the Dominican Republic, reported BBC News.

From evacuation orders to warnings of ‘catastrophic flash flooding’ and landslides, Jamaica is bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa – which is set to be the worst storm in the island's history.

When will Hurricane Melissa make landfall?

As per reports, Hurricane Melissa was centered at 145 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and is expected to turn north to make landfall on the island around sunrise on Tuesday.

It is unlikely to affect the United States, mentioned a report by AP.

Widespread heavy rain is already underway in Jamaica – prompting the closure of all major airports – leaving residents and many American tourists stranded. The storm is expected to last continuously through Tuesday afternoon, leading to life-threatening flooding and landslides.

Hurricane Melissa impact

Melissa is forecast to wash away roads, destroy homes and knock out electricity, leaving communities isolated, meteorologists said.

The most severe conditions are expected on Tuesday morning with catastrophic winds lashing Jamaica. In Kingston, grocery store shelves have emptied as families prepare to shelter in place.

On Monday, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that he has signed an evacuation order for some areas on the island’s southern coast. “We can lessen damage and speed up recovery by taking preparatory and precautionary measures before the impact of the hurricane,” Holmes said in a statement.

Multiple video clips all over the social media showed satellite imagery of the Category 5 hurricane – as it continued to intensify.

The US Embassy in Jamaica also issued an alert – warning Americans in the area to prepare to shelter in place. “This is a dangerous storm,” the alert said, besides sounding an alert for “catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides," as per ABC News.

How the hurricane got its name 'Melissa’?

Hurricane Melissa is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Atlantic tropical storms are named by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which maintains rotating lists of names.

The lists of names are re-used every six years; that is, the 2003 list was used again in 2009, the 2004 list in 2010, and so on. The 2019 list, for instance, was scheduled to be used again in 2025.