Hurricane Melissa: "Storm of the century" hits Caribbean killing 3 people as Royal Navy's HMS Trent deployed
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Vicious stormy conditions have killed three people in the Caribbean - with a Royal Navy warship being deployed to support the humanitarian effort.
Hurricane Melissa, a category five storm, is sweeping across the region and is due to hit Jamaica later today (October 28). It has been described as the “storm of the century”, the largest for the island since record-keeping began 174 years ago.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has set up a crisis centre ready to help Britons, with tourists urged to prepare for the cyclone. Three people have died and 15 others were injured while preparing for the storm.
HMS Trent, a Portsmouth-based offshore patrol vessel, is currently on stand-by. She relieved HMS Medway in San Juan, Puerto Rico, earlier this month - tasked with supporting British Oversea Territories throughout the season. HMS Medway is still in the Caribbean after leaving the Bahamas yesterday (October 27).
Currently, all of Jamaica’s international airports have been closed until further notice. Catastrophic flash floods and landslides are likely, with up to 700mm of rain, four-metre waves and 135mph winds possible, the FCDO said. The country’s government has published a list of available hurricane shelters. Around 5,000 British nationals are on the island, reports have said.
UK travel trade organisation Abta has urged tourists to monitor local news outlets. They said: “Customers currently in Jamaica are advised to monitor local news and should follow the advice of the local authorities, their accommodation and travel providers. Customers who are imminently due to travel to Jamaica should liaise with their travel provider and airline to establish if there are any changes to their travel arrangements.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News: “This is a very serious storm, and many people will be concerned about friends and family in Jamaica and in the region. We’ve set up the crisis centre here in the Foreign Office to provide 24-hour consular assistance to British nationals, but also to monitor Hurricane Melissa and to make sure we are ready and stand ready to provide UK support to Jamaica. I’ve spoken to the Jamaican foreign minister to offer our support and solidarity to the Jamaican people as they face the storm, and I would encourage everyone to follow both the Foreign Office’s travel advice and the instructions from the Jamaican government.”
Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength as it neared Jamaica – the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale with sustained winds exceeding 157mph. Three such hurricanes have formed during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, something not seen for 20 years.