Met Service Advises of Increased Rainfall as Hurricane Melissa Begins to Impact Jamaica

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica (Met Service) is advising the public to brace for increased rainfall, as the outer bands of Hurricane Melissa have begun to affect sections of the island.

Principal Director, Evan Thompson, notes that while parts of the country have been experiencing intermittent rainfall, conditions are expected to intensify as Hurricane Melissa draws nearer.

“Sections of the island are [actually] now seeing more sustained showers associated with the outer bands of Hurricane Melissa,” Mr. Thompson adds.

He provided the update on Sunday (October 26) during a press briefing on Hurricane Melissa, held at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Kingston.

Hurricane Melissa is projected to deliver between 20 and 30 inches of rainfall across eastern and some south-central regions of the island, with widespread flooding anticipated.

“In the higher elevations in the east, we could have over 30 inches getting close to a thousand millimeters over the period of this system moving across us. So this is tremendous rainfall that is bound to cause widespread flooding right across the country, and it is something… noteworthy for all our communities,” Mr. Thompson informed.

He further advised that weather models are indicating storm surges of up to 13 feet, expected to impact southern parishes situated east of the hurricane’s centre.

“Areas, really over Clarendon, parts of St. Catherine, and then going into Kingston and western parts of St. Thomas… that’s where we’re expecting most of the storm surges,” Mr. Thompson said.

He noted that the centre of the weather system is currently located south of Kingston and is expected to continue moving westward before turning north and tracking over Jamaica as a major Category Four hurricane.

Mr. Thompson said Hurricane Melissa is expected to begin impacting Jamaica late Monday evening or early Tuesday morning, depending on the system’s forward speed.

He advises residents in low-lying, flood-prone areas, as well as those living near rivers and gullies, to relocate to safer locations as the hurricane approaches Jamaica.