Summary

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay with reporting from Nick Davis in Jamaica and Brandon Drenon in Miami

  1. Officials receive distress calls from people stuck on roofs in Montego Bay

    Demond Mckenzie wears glasses and a black jacket speaking at a microphonePBCJamaica/Youtube

    While providing his update, local government minister Desmond McKenzie touched on the situation in St James parish, which includes Montego Bay.

    He says the river overflowed with 16ft (4.9m) of water.

    Public infrastructure was severely impacted, he says, adding that the hospital was damaged, government offices flooded, and a park for the homeless had to be evacuated.

    Officials report receiving distress calls from people stuck on roofs in Montego Bay, he says.

    First responders are focusing on evacuating people who need it, McKenzie adds - but much of the area remains cut off.

    Health facilities in the area have been devastated, he says.

  2. No confirmed reports of deaths so far - minister

    Desmond McKenzie, a local government minister, says there have been no official reports of fatalities so far.

    He says the government "cannot presume" there have been deaths and there will be no official statement until the situation becomes clearer.

    The press conference has ended, but stick with us as we bring you some more key lines.

  3. Western Jamaica has seen 'significant damage'

    Dr Dana Morris Dixon now turns to the impact of the hurricane on schools.

    She says they are still getting assessments through from schools on how they have been affected, adding they know there is “significant damage” in western Jamaica.

    She says their goal is to open certain government ministries as soon as they can so they can deliver essential services.

    It is important to get places like Kingston, where there was “minimal damage”, back up and running, she adds.

  4. More than two thirds of Jamaica without power

    Jamaica's information minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon is continuing with her update and confirms that 77% of the country remains without electricity.

    The least affected areas are:

    • St Thomas
    • St Catherine
    • And sections of Kingston and St Andrew

    The hurricane has left significant damage, she says, adding that it is slow to get information out of Montego Bay, which suffered a direct hit.

    Officials are working to get airports operational again. They are hoping to get Norman Manley International Airport, near Kingston, up by tomorrow.

    There is no information on the airport in Montego Bay, she adds.

    Man uses a machete to chop a treeReuters

    There are downed power lines across the country, Jamaican authorities say

  5. Utility companies given 'all clear' to begin repairing services

    Dr Dana Morris DixonPBC Jamaica/YouTube

    Dr Dana Morris Dixon is now speaking again.

    The minister says the government has been issued an "all clear" to utility companies, meaning they are now able to go out and begin repairing water, energy and telecommunications infrastructure.

    Supermarkets and pharmacies have been asked to open as soon as possible so people can access services.

    But people are urged to continue to exercising caution on the roads, with scattered debris, downed power lines and flooding widespread.

  6. Jamaica moving to recovery phase - but flash flooding remains a risk

    Evan ThompsonPBC Jamaica/YouTube

    We're continuing to hear from Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service.

    He says the hurricane is no longer a threat to Jamaica, but there is a flash flood watch in place.

    The danger of flash flooding is primarily in the northern part of the island, he adds, which should expect more rain.

    Authorities are now moving to the recovery phase, he says.

  7. Jamaica facing 'difficult' and 'unstable' situation, officials say

    We're listening to officials giving a briefing on the developing situation in Jamaica now.

    Dr Dana Morris Dixon, a local minister, begins by saying that it looks "really, really difficult" in parts of the country, with "devastating" images emerging.

    She continues: "But we are a strong people, we are a resilient people and we will get through this together."

    Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, is next up in providing an update and says this was the first storm of its kind in the history of Jamaica.

    "We have been through it," he says.

    Thompson confirms a tropical storm warning, which had remained in place overnight, has now been lifted for Jamaica but warns that the country is still in an "unstable situation".

    The edge of the weather system could continue to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Jamaica as the day wears on, he says.

  8. Watch and follow Jamaican authorities give update on Hurricane Melissa

    We're now getting an update from Jamaican authorities on how things look this morning, after Hurricane Melissa - the strongest storm to hit the country - made landfall on Tuesday.

    We'll be hearing from Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, local government minister Desmond Mckenzie and Richard Thompson, acting general of Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness.

    We'll be bring you the key lines from the press briefing here, but you can also follow by pressing watch live above.

  9. Residents describe 'terrifying' night after Melissa hits Cuba

    Gabriela Pomeroy
    Live reporter

    Rovier Mesa RodríguezRovier Mesa Rodríguez

    I've been speaking to Rovier Mesa Rodríguez, a video maker who lives in Santiago de Cuba, a part of the island that was battered by Hurricane Melissa.

    "The night was terrifying," he says. "There was a lot of wind and rain, it sounded like a tornado. I was awake all night."

    He says it still feels too dangerous to go out of the house because of the wind and rain - opening the front door, he says, still presents too much of a risk for him.

    His house was spared significant damage, Rodríguez says, but his mother - who lives in another part of town - wasn't as lucky. Her home was flooded, but she's still sheltering a few people.

    Her neighbours are trying to help remove the water from the house, he says.

    Meanwhile, outside his own home, he says people are starting to clean up fallen trees.

  10. 'Considerable damage' in Cuba, president says

    Miguel Díaz-Canel wears a blue suit and red tieGetty Images

    Hurricane Melissa hit Cuba this morning with 115mph winds and heavy rain, but it has now moved across the island and is making its way into the southwestern Atlantic.

    We can now bring you an update from the country's president on the aftermath of the storm, who says there is "considerable damage".

    "I ask our people not to let their guard down, to maintain discipline and continue well protected," Miguel Díaz-Canel says in a post on X.

    He adds the country prepared for a worst-case scenario, which helped the response.

  11. 'There is just devastation everywhere' - UK tourist in Jamaica tells BBC

    Pia Chevallier holds the camera up towards here while she is speaking to BBC News. The background behind her is blurred

    Pia Chevallier, from Cambridge, is on holiday in Jamaica and has been sheltering with her son at a resort 40 minutes away from Montego Bay, and she has been describing the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

    "We have just been allowed to get some breakfast but the damage is absolutely horrendous," Chevallier tells BBC News.

    "The windows didn't stop vibrating. There is just devastation everywhere. Palm trees blown off, tiles from roofs, paths blocked, debris from everywhere.

    I was feeling sick with worry, my whole body was shaking and worried we might not come out of this alive. I was so scared."

    Pia Chevallier

  12. Downed trees and flooded streets: What Jamaicans are waking up to this morning

    We're now seeing pictures from the west-central Jamaica parish of Manchester, which show people walking through floodwater on emptied streets.

    It has not been long since the sun rose over the Caribbean island, so people are now starting to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa for themselves.

    People walk on a flooded road, after Hurricane Melissa made landfall, in Prospect, ManchesterReuters

    People walk along the side of a flooded road in Prospect, Manchester

    People sit on the roof of a vehicle riding on a flooded roadReuters
    Broken tree branches lie on the streetReuters

    Many broken and uprooted trees line the roads in Manchester, Jamaica

  13. UK deploys urgent relief to Caribbean in wake of Hurricane Melissa

    In the last few moments, the UK government has announced that it will be providing £2.5m to support Jamaica in its relief efforts.

    Supplies and technical experts have also been deployed to help with the disaster response.

    Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says: “Specialist rapid deployment teams have also been positioned in the region to provide consular assistance round the clock to British nationals affected by the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.”

    The government asks British nationals in Jamaica to register here.

  14. Impacted by Hurricane Melissa? Let us know

    A BBC graphic which says "your voice, your BBC News"

    If you've been impacted by the hurricane and want to speak to us or send images, if it is safe to do so, here's how you can get in touch:

    In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.

  15. Severity of hurricane beginning to be revealed - but true extent of damage not yet known

    Nick Davis
    Reporting from Kingston, Jamaica

    As Jamaica starts a new day, the true extent of Hurricane Melissa is being revealed. With 75% of the country without electricity overnight, the numbers without shelter, injured - or perhaps dead haven't even begun to be counted.

    But the stories are coming out - people have shared clips of roads that became rivers, mudslides on the hills, roofs being ripped from buildings and palm trees tossed like tooth picks.

    But without power or phone coverage, much of the country is isolated - technologically and physically - with additional rainfall causing flooding and landslides.

    The country's prime minister, Andrew Holness, has declared the island a disaster area. Funds from a Caribbean insurance policy created for just this type of national emergency will help to pay for some of the immediate costs and relief is already inbound from around the world.

    The airport in Kingston is expected to reopen for aid flights later in the day

  16. US deploys response team after 'catastrophic damage' in Caribbean

    The US State Department says that in response to the "catastrophic damage" caused in many Caribbean countries it will deploy a "regional disaster assistance response team".

    It has also activated US-based urban search and rescue teams to "bolster response efforts", it says.

    "These teams are working with affected countries and local communities to determine what assistance is needed and with interagency, international, and US military partners to coordinate emergency response efforts," it says.

    As a reminder, Trump told reporters on his flight from Japan to South Korea last night that the US was positioned to send assistance to Jamaica if needed.

  17. BBC Verify

    AI fakes widely shared in aftermath of Hurricane Melissa

    We're now seeing the first images of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, but other images have been circulating online.

    Our colleagues at BBC Verify have been tracking fake images as Melissa sweeps across the Caribbean:

    By Emma Pengelly, BBC Verify journalist

    In one image posted yesterday, which claims to show devastation in Jamaica, debris can be seen flying. Items like ladders are strewn across flooded streets, palm trees are buckling in strong wind and building roofs have been torn off.

    The post has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on different social media platforms.

    One viral Facebook post comes from an account that identifies itself as sharing “AI visuals”. The post also says it is allegedly of a destroyed hospital in the coastal town of Black River, but the layout of the buildings and surrounding landscape do not match its hospital.

    We also ran the image through Google’s deepfake detection tool and it found Google AI generation digital watermarks in nearly every part of the image.

    There are also other elements of the image which indicate it isn’t real - like repeated patterns in the damaged palm tree leaves and possible inconsistencies in the buildings.

    During major weather events we almost always find fake images and video surfacing online, so at times like these it’s important to check reputable sources for information before sharing.

    An image showing widespread storm destruction including flood waters and roofs ripped off buildings.

  18. Damage in Jamaica's Montego Bay

    We're now getting some fresh images from Jamaica's Montego Bay area, where Hurricane Melissa has left widespread damage.

    The popular tourist destination is now surrounded by shattered roofs and debris on the roads - here are the latest pictures:

    Destroyed buildings and shattered palm trees in Montego Bay, JamaicaReuters
    Shattered table and palm trees in a balcony in Montego BayReuters
    People examine the damage after Hurricane Melissa in Montego Bay, JamaicaReuters
    Destroyed buildings and shattered palm trees in Montego Bay, JamaicaReuters

  19. Flash flood warning in Cuba as hurricane soon to emerge in Atlantic - National Hurricane Center

    A still of damage to buildings near the coast in Jamaica, debris on the ground and trees blowing in the wind.

    In Montego Bay, Jamaica, the island is waking up to extensive damage after being hit by Storm Melissa

    The latest advisory from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the storm is continuing to move over eastern Cuba and will "soon emerge" into the southwestern Atlantic.

    Melissa is moving at around 14mph (22km/h), with maximum sustained winds now near 105 mph (165 km/h), it says.

    In its latest update, the NHC says:

    Cuba: Hurricane-force winds are occurring within the warning area, and the eastern part of the country is likely to face life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flash flooding with numerous landslides. It is also warning of a dangerous storm surge.

    Jamaica: The government of Jamaica has discontinued its tropical storm warning, but the island is expected to face ongoing catastrophic flash flooding and numerous landslides.

    The Bahamas: Hurricane conditions are expected in southeastern and central parts of The Bahamas today. Flash flooding is expected from high rainfall in the south east, and a dangerous storm surge of five to eight feet above normally dry ground is possible today.

  20. The Bahamas has taken all necessary steps, PM says

    Vanessa Buschschlüter
    Latin America and Caribbean editor, News Online

    The US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that preparations to protect life and property should be "rushed to completion" in The Bahamas.

    As we've just reported, Hurricane Melissa is forecast to move across The Bahamas later on Wednesday with south-eastern and central islands most at risk.

    Prime Minister Philip Davis has said that his government has taken all of the necessary steps to ensure that its response is "organised, resourced, and effective".

    On Monday, the government issued an evacuation order for a number of islands in the south-east of the archipelago, which are predicted to be most at risk from Melissa.

    In 2019, the archipelago was hit by Dorian, a category five hurricane, whose powerful winds, rain and storm surges left widespread devastation and killed scores of people.