Overview
- U.S. forecasters report Melissa has strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane with winds near 225 km/h and a forward speed of about 8 km/h.
- Authorities confirm at least four deaths linked to the storm, with three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, and a teenager reported missing in the Dominican Republic.
- The National Hurricane Center warns of life‑threatening flash floods and landslides, citing prolonged extreme rainfall over Jamaica and Hispaniola.
- Measured totals already exceed 160 l/m² at Punta Cana, with forecasts of 350–650 l/m² across southern Hispaniola and Jamaica and localized peaks near 900 l/m².
- Jamaica has closed Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport and all maritime ports, while the prime minister urges residents in flood‑prone areas to prepare to evacuate as the system tracks north toward Cuba.