Hurricane Melissa is moving toward Jamaica at six kilometers per hour (km/h), with maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h (165 mph), aiming to hit Jamaica Monday night and eastern Cuba on Tuesday.
Melissa is now a Category 5 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center warns, describing its winds as destructive, with catastrophic storm surge and flooding. Located 205 km south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and 505 km south-southwest of the eastern province of Guantánamo, Cuba, it is expected to move near or over Jamaica Monday night; Tuesday, southeastern Cuba and throughout the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.
The agency forecasts rainfall of 15 to 30 inches in portions of Jamaica and an additional 8 to 16 inches for southern Hispaniola through Wednesday, with local maximum storm totals of 40 inches possible.
For eastern Cuba, rainfall totals of 10 to 15 inches are expected, with local amounts of 20 inches through Wednesday, resulting in a life-threatening and catastrophic flash flood. Flooding with numerous mudslides will occur.
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
