Watch a live view of Hurricane Melissa making landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday (28 October).
The storm, which is the most powerful recorded this year, is expected to bring with it up to 40 inches of rain and “life-threatening storm surges” that could peak 13ft above ground level.
Melissa, which made landfall with violent 185mph, will move diagonally across the country until it hits Cuba, with impacts also expected in Haiti and the Bahamas.
The World Meteorological Organisation has warned that a “catastrophic situation” is likely to occur following landfall, and the Red Cross has said it is preparing for up to 1.5million people in Jamaica to be impacted by the “storm of the century”.
At least seven people have died in the Caribbean so far, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, as of Tuesday afternoon GMT.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in at least seven flood-prone communities on the island and over 800 shelters have been set up across the country.
Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Council, said: “I want to urge Jamaicans to take this seriously. Do not gamble with Melissa. It's not a safe bet.”
As of Tuesday morning, more than 240,000 electric customers are without power, which equates to a third of the island, energy minister Daryl Vaz said.
