Hurricane Melissa continues to batter Cuba on Wednesday (October 29), weakening to a Category 2 storm after devastating Jamaica and leaving at least 25 people dead in Haiti, officials said.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) as the storm moved north-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph).
The hurricane’s centre was located about 45 miles (70 km) northwest of Guantánamo, Cuba, and 205 miles (335 km) south of the central Bahamas.
Cuban authorities said hundreds of thousands of residents had been evacuated to shelters, with hurricane warnings issued for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas provinces, as well as parts of the southeastern and central Bahamas.
The NHC warned that preparations in the Bahamas “should be rushed to completion,” as Melissa continued its northward path.
In Haiti, local officials confirmed widespread flooding and destruction. Jean Bertrand Subrème, mayor of Petit-Goâve, said the La Digue river burst its banks, sweeping through nearby homes and killing at least 25 people.
“I am overwhelmed by the situation,” he said, urging the government to send emergency assistance. Dozens of homes were destroyed, and rescue workers continued to search for survivors trapped under rubble.
In Jamaica, authorities described extensive damage after Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane with record wind speeds of 185 mph (295 kph) — among the strongest Atlantic storms on record.
Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon said 77% of the island remained without power on Wednesday, though water systems were largely intact.
More than 25,000 people were sheltering in evacuation centres across Jamaica, as Prime Minister Andrew Holness prepared to survey the worst-hit regions, including St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Westmoreland, and St. James.
Hurricane Melissa has been one of the most powerful and destructive storms in recent Caribbean history, causing catastrophic flooding, power outages, and large-scale displacement across Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba.
Cuban emergency services continue to assess the full extent of the damage as rescue efforts intensify in affected areas.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass sh...
Global temperatures are projected to rise by up to 2.8°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 under current climate policies, according to a Uni...
Clashes between protesters and police erupted in Paris and Marseille on Saturday as demonstrations over rising living costs and declining public se...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, 7 November, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings, just three days before U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party has taken a narrow lead over the opposition Labour Party in Saturday’s general election, with the country’s current three-party coalition projected to retain power.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
Clashes between protesters and police erupted in Paris and Marseille on Saturday as demonstrations over rising living costs and declining public services continued for a fourth consecutive weekend across France.
Security measures have been stepped up in Antalya, Türkiye, ahead of the COP31 United Nations climate summit, which begins on Monday, 9 November, with thousands of additional personnel deployed across the Mediterranean city.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed a new U.S. military operation targeting the movement of weapons and sanctioned materials on Sunday, 8 November, saying Washington would fail to isolate the Iranian economy despite expanding restrictions on maritime and land routes.
A Russian overnight attack on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region left more than 600,000 people without electricity on Sunday, 8 November, Ukrainian energy company DTEK said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment