Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba hours after devastating Jamaica

Reuters:

HAVANA, Oct 29 – Hurricane Melissa slammed into Cuba early on Wednesday, hours after causing devastation in neighbouring Jamaica as the strongest-ever storm on record to hit that Caribbean island nation.

Melissa hit the southern coast of eastern Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Around 735,000 people were evacuated from their homes in eastern Cuba as the storm approached, authorities said. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned on Tuesday the storm would cause “significant damage” and urged people to heed evacuation orders.

Melissa had weakened to a still dangerous Category 3 hurricane after roaring ashore near Jamaica’s southwestern town of New Hope on Tuesday, packing sustained winds of up to 185 mph, according to the Miami-based forecaster.

Category 5 storms, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, carry winds of 157 mph and over.