In pictures: Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba after causing chaos in Jamaica
Hundreds of thousands left without power in Jamaica as hospitals are forced to evacuate
An evacuation in Santiago de Cuba before the arrival of Hurricane Melissa. Photograph: Ramon Espinosa/AP
Wed Oct 29 2025 - 10:44
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba less than a day after it became the strongest recorded storm to strike Jamaica, where it left hundreds of thousands without power and forced hospitals to evacuate.
Melissa crossed the coast in eastern Cuba as an “extremely dangerous” storm, the US National Hurricane Center said in a statement. As much as 63cm of rain and storm surges up to 3.7 meters above normal were expected. – Bloomberg
People walk through Santa Cruz, Jamaica, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Photograph: Matias Delacroix/AP
A man sits on part of the roof of his house, damaged by Hurricane Melissa in Santiago de Cuba. Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
Canizo, a village in Santiago de Cuba, in advance of the arrival of the hurrican. Photograph: Ramon Espinosa/AP
Residents in the city of Santiago de Cuba are braced for the arrival of the hurricane. Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
At a fallen tree in St Catherine, Jamaica. Photograph: Ricardo Makyn/AFP via Getty Images
Residents of Playa Siboney, Cuba, evacuate under pouring rain. Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
The predicted path of Hurricane Melissa, which will significantly weaken as it makes its way across the Atlantic. Photograph: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A soldier helps to evacuate an elderly woman at Siboney beach in Santiago de Cuba. Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
The Las Cucarachas neighbourhood in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, ahead of the arrival of the storm. Photograph: Danny Polanco/AFP via Getty Images
Rocky Point, Jamaica, during the passing of Hurricane Melissa. Photograph: Matias Delacroix/AP
