Hurricane Melissa currently ranks the world’s strongest storm of the year, based on its maximum wind speeds and low central pressure.
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Hurricane Melissa is expected to bring “catastrophic and life-treatening” winds, flooding, and storm surge to Jamaica, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Melissa, the third category 5 hurricane of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, is expected to make landfall later today. It doubled in strength over the weekend as it underwent extreme rapid intensification over exceptionally warm water in the Caribbean. This phenomenon is occurring more and more often as the world warms due to fossil fuel burning.
According to Climate Central, water temperatures in the Caribbean are currently 1.1C higher than normal.
The island’s health and wellness ministry reported on Monday evening that there had been three storm-related deaths “in preparation” for the hurricane.
“We urge the public to exercise extreme caution: activities such as climbing roofs, securing sandbags, or cutting trees may seem manageable, but even minor mistakes during hurricane conditions can result in serious injury or death,” Minister Christopher Tufton said in a video shared on social media X.
According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa ranks the world’s strongest storm of the year, based on its maximum wind speeds and low central pressure.
Dylan Federico, a meteorologist at South Florida’s WSVN 7 News, described Melissa as “one of the strongest hurricanes we’ll see in our lifetimes in the Atlantic Basin.”
Featured image: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery.
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