NASSAU/MIAMI (dpa-AFX) – Hurricane “Melissa” continues its devastating course through the Atlantic. Having already made landfall twice – first in Jamaica and then in Cuba – the storm is now heading towards the Bahamas and then Bermuda. According to the US Hurricane Center in Miami, “Melissa” is currently a hurricane in the second strongest category with sustained wind speeds of up to 155 kilometers per hour.
“Melissa”, which hit Jamaica hard with the highest category 5, was in the southwestern Atlantic on Wednesday morning (local time), around 245 kilometers south of the Bahamas. The storm center was moving quickly at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour, according to the hurricane center in Miami.
Strong winds, rain and storm surge expected in the Bahamas
The storm was expected to move across the southeastern or central part of the Bahamas archipelago on Wednesday. Meteorologists warned of damaging gusts of wind and heavy rainfall in the Bahamas and Cuba. A dangerous storm surge is also to be expected in the Bahamas.
Melissa was expected to pass near or west of Bermuda late Thursday. A hurricane warning remains in effect for eastern Cuba. The Turks and Caicos Islands will also feel some of the effects of the storm./aso/DP/jha