Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday 28 October, leaving a catastrophic situation in its wake, and has just made landfall in Cuba. What the World Meteorological Organization has described as "the storm of the century" reached the Jamaican coast while classified as a category 5 hurricane, the maximum possible on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

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The US Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters flew straight through Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, capturing an incredible view from inside the storm's eye.

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Gusts of 300 kilometres per hour: "The entire territory is a disaster zone"

The extremely powerful weather event brought gusts of around 300 kilometres per hour, and represented the worst hurricane ever to strike the Caribbean island state since data has been regularly monitored. The first images circulating show a devastated landscape. Prime Minister Andrew Holmes declared that the entire territory is a "disaster zone". Environment Minister Matthew Samuda told CNN the situation was "catastrophic", even worse than forecast.

The region of Saint Elizabeth, in the south-western part of the country and crucial to agricultural production, is submerged. But "all of Jamaica has suffered the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa", explained a member of parliament, Desmond McKenzie, at a press conference, underlining that numerous hospitals were also affected.

Giovanni R. Dennis @GiovanniRDennis

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Black River, St Elizabeth

#TrackingMelissa #HurricaneMelissa #Jamaica @CVMTV

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The winds and torrential rains caused widespread blackouts even before the hurricane made landfall. Numerous homes were damaged, with roofs torn off. According to the Red Cross, at least 1.5 million people may have been affected, out of a total population of 2.8 million. Entire neighbourhoods are isolated and many roads are impassable.

Giovanni R. Dennis @GiovanniRDennis

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#HappeningNow

This is Spaulding, Clarendon presently

#TrackingMelissa #HurricaneMelissa #Jamaica @CVMTV

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The hurricane is now over the western part of Cuba

The United Nations announced the dispatch of thousands of relief kits to help the worst-affected areas. It is not yet possible to establish a full toll of damage and casualties, but the deaths of three people have already been confirmed.

I preparativi a Cuba prima del passaggio dell'uragano Melissa.jpg — Preparations in Cuba ahead of Hurricane Melissa's passage © Yamil Lage/Afp/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Cuba has prepared for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which will subsequently head towards the Bahamas. The Havana authorities have ordered the closure of schools and the evacuation of certain areas. The lack of electricity, however, is making it harder to broadcast warning messages to the population. A state of emergency has been declared in six provinces, where residents were supplied with food, candles and batteries in the days prior.

Daniel Gilford, a climatologist at Climate Central, reminded the AFP news agency that climate change has worsened "all the most damaging characteristics of Hurricane Melissa, which brought heavier rainfall and coastal flooding than we would have seen in the absence of global warming".

Hurricane Melissa devastates Jamaica and moves on to Cuba