Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica and has been downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane.
With wind speed reaching 295 kilometers per hour, it is the strongest-ever storm to directly hit the Caribbean nation of 2.8 million people.
Cubans flee ahead of Hurricane Melissa's arrival
US weather officials said the center of Hurricane Melissa moved off Jamaica on Tuesday afternoon and headed for Cuba.
"Life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds are likely to begin later today" in eastern Cuba, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory.
Melissa is forecast to make landfall on the Communist-run island in the early hours of Wednesday.
Officials warn of displaced crocodiles after Hurricane Melissa
Jamaican health officials warned residents to stay alert for crocodiles that may have been displaced by Hurricane Melissa.
"Rising water levels in rivers, gullies, and swamps could cause crocodiles to move into residential areas," posted the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) on Instagram.
"Residents living near these areas are therefore advised to remain vigilant and avoid flood-waters," it added.
Melissa is one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history
Here are some of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record:
Hurricane Allen (1980)
The strongest Atlantic storm ever recorded by wind speed, Hurricane Allen claimed over 200 lives in Haiti before moving toward Texas in 1980. Its sustained winds peaked at 190 mph (305 km/h) but weakened before landfall.
Hurricane Melissa (2025)
Crashing into Jamaica with 185 mph (295 km/h) winds, Melissa tied the record for the strongest speeds by an Atlantic storm while making landfall.
Hurricane Dorian (2019)
Dorian devastated the Bahamas as the strongest hurricane ever to strike the country, packing sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h).
Hurricane Wilma (2005)
Wilma rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm and reached estimated sustained winds around 185 mph (295 km/h). It slammed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before striking South Florida.
Hurricane Gilbert (1988)
Gilbert reached sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and set the then-record lowest pressure in the Atlantic, leaving a trail of destruction across Jamaica and Mexico.
Around 6,000 people in shelter — Jamaican authorities
Roughly 6,000 people in Jamaica were sheltering in 382 emergency centers as Hurricane Melissa slammed into the island Tuesday, according to authorities.
Despite repeated evacuation warnings, Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica's Disaster Risk Management Council, expressed concern that few residents in high-risk areas such as Saint Elizabeth Parish in the south were using the shelters.
Officials estimate that more than 50,000 people may need to temporarily leave their homes due to the storm's destruction.
The Jamaican government has launched a website called Support Jamaica to provide residents with up-to-date information.
Hurricane Melissa's path: Where is it headed after Jamaica?
After making landfall in Jamaica, Melissa is expected to remain a strong hurricane as it crosses eastern Cuba and strikes the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos by Wednesday.
In Cuba, authorities said that around 500,000 people had been evacuated from areas vulnerable to winds and flooding.
Meanwhile, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis has issued evacuations for people in the eastern and southern parts of the archipelago.
