Jamaican officials issued urgent warnings on Saturday as Hurricane Melissa approaches, threatening to become the strongest storm ever recorded in the country.
“Do not take this lightly,” warned Daryl Vaz, Jamaica's Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications, and Transport. “Avoid making foolish decisions, like venturing out in the middle of the storm to see what's happening."
The National Hurricane Center reported that Melissa is expected to rapidly intensify over the weekend. In response, all airports in Jamaica will close at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The last flight of the day will be allowed to land if delayed, but all subsequent flights will be suspended until further notice.
Melissa is forecast to reach Category 4 strength as it passes over Jamaica, making it the most powerful storm to ever impact the country, according to Evan Thompson, Director of Jamaica’s Meteorological Service.
“There is nowhere that will escape the wrath of this storm,” Thompson stated. The storm is expected to bring between 20 to 30 inches of rain, with National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome calling the situation "very concerning."
“If you have friends or family in the area, it’s crucial that you contact them to ensure they are aware and taking necessary precautions,” Rhome urged.
Hurricane Melissa has already claimed the lives of at least three people in Haiti. The Haitian Civil Protection Agency reported two fatalities from a landslide near Port-au-Prince on Thursday, and an elderly man was killed by a falling tree in Marigot.
As of 2 p.m. ET Saturday, the storm was moving west-northwest at just 1 mph, located about 145 miles southeast of Kingston.
The hurricane center warned of “life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides” across Jamaica and southern Hispaniola over the weekend. In the Dominican Republic, more than 500,000 people have already lost water service due to downed trees and widespread traffic disruptions.
U.S. President Donald Trump joined a White House briefing on Tuesday, using the appearance to defend his approach to NATO and claim credit for increas...
The European Union has proposed new restrictions on exports of drone and missile-related technology to Iran, while preparing additional sanctions in r...
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to attend Supreme Court oral arguments this week in a case examining whether President Donald Trump has the...
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia dis...
The European Parliament has frozen the ratification of a trade agreement with the United States after fresh tariff threats from Donald Trump, escalati...
U.S. President Donald Trump joined a White House briefing on Tuesday, using the appearance to defend his approach to NATO and claim credit for increased defence spending by alliance members, as disputes with European partners over security and Greenland continue.
The European Union has proposed new restrictions on exports of drone and missile-related technology to Iran, while preparing additional sanctions in response to what it described as Tehran’s ‘brutal suppression’ of protesters.
Russia’s liquefied natural gas transit through Azerbaijan is emerging as a strategically significant development for Armenia at a time of rising domestic pressure on energy supplies, according to political analyst Fuad Karimli.Speaking to AnewZ, Karimli said the issue has gained urgency as Armenia f
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to attend Supreme Court oral arguments this week in a case examining whether President Donald Trump has the authority to remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor.
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
The European Parliament has frozen the ratification of a trade agreement with the United States after fresh tariff threats from Donald Trump, escalating tensions between Washington and Brussels.
Five skiers were killed in a pair of avalanches in Austria’s western Alpine regions on Saturday, with two others injured, one critically.
A fresh consignment of precision-guided munitions has departed from the Indian city of Nagpur bound for Yerevan, marking the latest phase in the rapidly expanding defence partnership between India and Armenia.
U.S. President Donald Trump joined a White House briefing on Tuesday, using the appearance to defend his approach to NATO and claim credit for increased defence spending by alliance members, as disputes with European partners over security and Greenland continue.
The European Union has proposed new restrictions on exports of drone and missile-related technology to Iran, while preparing additional sanctions in response to what it described as Tehran’s ‘brutal suppression’ of protesters.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to attend Supreme Court oral arguments this week in a case examining whether President Donald Trump has the authority to remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor.
One year into his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has used tariffs, military operations and immigration crackdowns to drive an expansive vision of U.S. power that is generating strong resistance abroad and sharpening political divides at home.
There was a common theme in speeches at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday (20 January). China’s Vice-Premier, He Lifeng, warned that "tariffs and trade wars have no winners," while France's Emmanuel Macron, labelled "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the U.S. "fundamentally unacceptable."
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment