---
title: "WMO warns Hurricane Melissa to be Jamaica's worst storm this century"
description: "The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday of catastrophic conditions in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall, bringing winds gusts exceeding 300 kilometres per hour, flash floods, and landslides, marking the worst storm to hit the island this century."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-28-wmo-warns-hurricane-melissa-to-be-jamaicas-worst-storm-this-century/"
published: "2025-10-28T12:53:00"
updated: "2025-10-28T12:53:02"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 184
---

# WMO warns Hurricane Melissa to be Jamaica's worst storm this century

> The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday of catastrophic conditions in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall, bringing winds gusts exceeding 300 kilometres per hour, flash floods, and landslides, marking the worst storm to hit the island this century.

By Reuters · Published 28 October 2025, 14:53 SAST · Updated 28 October 2025, 14:53 SAST

## Key points
- Jamaica is gearing up for a storm so fierce it could make history, with enough rain to drown a small village and winds that might just blow your roof right off, as officials scramble to shelter nearly 1.5 million people from nature’s wrath.
- Jamaica braces for a catastrophic storm, described as the "storm of the century" by WMO specialist Anne-Claire Fontan.
- Expected storm surges of up to four meters and rainfall exceeding 70 centimeters raise alarms for severe flash flooding and landslides.
- The International Federation of the Red Cross warns that up to 1.5 million people could be directly impacted, with tens of thousands facing immediate danger.
- Over 800 shelters have been established to evacuate residents from high-risk areas, prioritizing safety to minimize casualties.

## Content

"It’s a catastrophic situation expected in Jamaica," WMO tropical cyclone specialist Anne-Claire Fontan said at a Geneva press briefing. "For Jamaica, it will be the storm of the century for sure."

She said that storm surges of up to fourmeters were expected during the day and that rainfall was set to exceed 70 centimetres or about twice the amount expected normal the entire rainy season. "It means there will be catastrophic flash flooding and landslides," she said.

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) is bracing for up to 1.5 million people in Jamaica to be directly affected by the storm.

"Today will be very difficult for tens of thousands, if not millions of people in Jamaica," IFRC's Necephor Mghendi said via video link from Port of Spain.

"Roofs will be tested, floodwaters will rise, isolation will become a harsh reality for many."

Over 800 shelters have been set up for evacuees from the worst-hit areas, he added.

"The main priority was to get people out of harm’s way to reduce the number of casualties."

(Reporting by Emma Farge, editing by Kirsti Knolle)