Name: Jamaica braces for landfall as Hurricane Melissa becomes Category 5
Uploaded: 2025-10-27T14:18:27.825Z
Duration: 3 min 36 s
Description: Hurricane Melissa was upgraded to a Category 5 storm and is expected to make landfall in Jamaica Monday night or early Tuesday. CBS News correspondent Jason Allen has more from Kingston, while CBS News New York meteorologist Tony Sadiku has the latest forecast.

Hurricane Melissa was upgraded to a Category 5 storm and is expected to make landfall in Jamaica Monday night or early Tuesday. CBS News correspondent Jason Allen has more from Kingston, while CBS News New York meteorologist Tony Sadiku has the latest forecast.

Kingston

Hurricane Melissa has been upgraded to a Category 5 storm as it moves toward Jamaica, bringing the threat of life-threatening flash flooding and landslides. The National Hurricane Center has issued warnings for Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, with the storm expected to bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and the risk of power outages.

Local authorities in Jamaica have been working to clear gullies and waterways to mitigate flooding, but concerns remain about the potential for severe impacts, especially in areas where debris has not been fully removed. Meteorologists report that the storm, with top winds of 160 mph and a pressure of 917 millibars, is moving slowly and could bring as much as 30 to 40 inches of rain to some regions before affecting other islands in the Caribbean.

Jamaica braces for landfall as Hurricane Melissa becomes Category 5

We continue to track Hurricane Melissa. It has now been upgraded to a Category 5 storm as it heads toward Jamaica. And the National Hurricane Center says it's likely to cause life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding and landslides. CBS News correspondent Jason Allen joins us now live from Jamaica with more on all of this. Jason, we can hear the rain on your jacket. What were conditions like for you overnight? What's happening now? You know, Errol, this has been such a slow-moving storm. It has been slow to build over the last few days. And even in the overnight hours, we didn't have a lot of wind here in Kingston. But this morning, it has started to gust more and really significantly. Even in the last hour, we can feel it starting to pick up. Now, I'm going to show you kind of this waterway here along the Kingston shoreline. And as you look across the water, that's the airport that's built on a barrier island. So it's acting as a little bit of a break from probably those higher swells that are occurring on the other side. But the wind's really starting to gust. You mentioned you can hear the rain. It's been falling in bands. So it's light right now, but we keep seeing these heavier bands that roll through. And we expect that to get more continuous over the next couple of hours. And over the weekend, Jason, you were noting that as part of preparations for this storm, they were trying to clear away some of the gullies and waterways so that water could get out. Tell us about that and other preparations that may be happening now. So you have these huge mountains that surround Kingston. I know you can kind of see the downtown and the business district. And way in the background, you can kind of see one of those smaller mountains back there. So all of that rainfall right now that's landing in the mountains is being carried down through these gullies. And the concern is, in a lot of these gullies, they're still full of silt and mud and trees and vegetation that have grown there over the years. And they haven't been cleared out. And so if we get those rains of 15, 20, 25 inches, the fear from some of those people that live along those gullies is they will fill up, they will back up, and they will flood into neighborhoods. Now, work crews were trying to do whatever they could over the last day or two to clear them out. Exactly how they perform, we're just gonna have to see here in the next day. See some of the birds diving behind you. We want you and the crew to stay safe. Jason, we'll check in with you throughout the day. Thank you. And CBS News New York meteorologist Tony Siddiqui has more on the storm's track and your forecast. Good morning, Tony. Good morning, Errol. Definitely thinking about the folks in Jamaica bracing for this monstrous hurricane. It's a Cat 5 this morning. You can see the structure, well-defined eye. It's a compact storm, but man, is it powerful. Top winds at 160, pressure's down 917 millibars. Movement is west at three, so it's slow. It's still expected to take a northerly turn this afternoon. By the way, it may not be done strengthening. Still a favorable environment. The storm about 90 miles south of the island. Hurricane warnings extend Jamaica to Haiti, all the way to Cuba, too. They're expected to feel the impacts here in the coming days. Now, let's look at the track. It's expected to reach the island by late tonight into tomorrow morning. Devastating impacts in terms of power outages. Some areas could see as much as 30 to 40 inches of rain. That'll lead to some landslides, too, with terrain really disrupting the storm somewhat before it impacts Cuba, the Bahamas, and perhaps Bermuda later this week. Back to you. All right, Tony, thank you very much.

Two suspects were arrested over the weekend in connection to the Louvre museum heist in Paris, a week after the brazen daylight robbery at the world's most-visited museum.

Paris

Arrests made in heist at Paris' Louvre museum

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Japan Monday, disembarking from Air Force One after flying from Malaysia. Trump will meet new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi amid the prospect of completing a joint deal to promote shipbuilding capacity.

Tokyo

Trump arrives in Japan, due to meet emperor and new prime minister

Venezuela on Sunday (October 26) condemned what it said was a military provocation by neighboring Trinidad and Tobago in coordination with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, aimed at spurring a full military confrontation with the Latin American nation.

Caracas

Venezuela condemns 'provocation' by CIA and Trinidad and Tobago

An American warship has docked in Trinidad and Tobago for joint military exercises. The US has increased its military presence in the Caribbean, bombing what the White House says are drug smuggling boats from Venezuela.
Trinidad and Tobago has relations with both countries and is in a difficult position.

Port of Spain

U.S. warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago amid Venezuela tensions

The party of Argentinian President Javier Milei has won midterm elections clinching a crucial vote of confidence in his free-market reforms and deep austerity measures. Early results show Milei's Libertarian Party secured more than 40 percent of votes.

Buenos Aires

Argentina's midterms deliver huge win for Milei's libertarian agenda

Argentines are voting in legislative elections that will test support for President Javier Milei's free-market reforms and deep austerity measures and determine whether he has the backing to continue his economic overhaul

Argentines vote in high-stakes test of Milei's vision

Beijing decided to implement tighter restrictions on rare earths exports that are needed for advanced technologies. In response, Trump threatened additional tariffs on Chinese imports.

Kuala Lumpur

Global Tariffs

US-China trade deal closing in ahead of meeting between Trump and Xi

U.S President Donald Trump has presided over the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia. Trump helped broker a ceasefire between the two after a deadly dispute on the border in July.

Trump signs Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire pact

French authorities have made arrests in connection with the recent theft of jewellery from the Louvre Museum in Paris, however it's uncertain whether any jewels have been recovered. One of the men taken into custody was preparing to leave the country at a Paris Airport.

Arrests made in Louvre jewellery heist by French police: Paris prosecutor

Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in military fatigues, met army chief Valery Gerasimov for an update on Ukraine’s front lines. Putin also praised the successful test of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile, which reportedly flew 14,000 kilometres in 15 hours.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Putin hails long-range nuclear missile as Russia pushes deeper into Ukraine

Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified from a Tropical Storm to a Category 4 hurricane in 24 hours and is still undergoing rapid intensification. It is expected to be a Category 5 storm by Monday. Melissa is forecast to bring life-threatening, catastrophic rainfall and storm surge to Jamaica, as well as Haiti and Cuba.

Category 4 Hurricane Melissa to bring catastrophic impacts

Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly, who secured the backing of Ireland's left-leaning parties including Sinn Féin, has won the country's presidential election in a landslide victory against her centre-right rival.

Dublin

Left-winger Catherine Connolly wins Irish presidency

It took the French police almost a week to make their first arrests in connection with the investigation into the theft of the jewels of the French sovereigns from the Apollo Gallery.

Louvre robbery: two suspects arrested, Paris prosecutor says

Moscow says it successfully tested a Burevestnik nuclear missile this week, with Russian president Vladimir Putin saying it is "unlike any other in the world."

Testing of 'unique' new Russian weapon successful, says Putin

On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, U.S. President Donald Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand. Trump is on a multi-stop tour of Asia, meeting allies in an attempt to resolve a trade war with China.

Trump's ASEAN visit yields Thai-Cambodian truce, trade deals

Kingston's waterfront in Jamaica was empty on Saturday, with the first bands of rain from Hurricane Melissa hitting the island. But in some parts of the city, they are still racing to prepare for the storm. Jason Allen reports.

Jamaica braces for Hurricane Melissa

U.S President Donald Trump says he plans to hike tariffs on imports of Canadian goods by an extra 10 per cent because of an anti-tariff television ad aired by the province of Ontario.

Ontario

Trump announces new punishing tariffs on Canada

French media reports that the Louvre has moved some of its most precious jewels out of the museum for safekeeping. The jewels were moved from the Apollo Gallery, the scene of Sunday's heist, according to French radio.

Louvre moves most precious jewels out of museum for safekeeping

The United States is stepping up its military presence in the Caribbean by ordering its most advanced aircraft carrier into the region. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro accused the US of using drug trafficking claims to "fabricate a war" in Latin America.

Venezuela's Maduro accuses U.S of 'fabricating war'

Deploying an aircraft carrier is a major escalation of military power in a region that has already seen an unusually large US military buildup in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off Venezuela.

U.S sending aircraft carrier to South America in major escalation

Ontario Premier Doug Ford stands by his decision to run an anti-tariff ad campaign in the U.S. after President Donald Trump halted trade talks with Canada because of it. The ad will be paused next week and Prime Minister Mark Carney says he is ready to resume talks when the U.S. is interested.

Ottawa

Trump halts trade talks with Canada over World Series ad

New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty to federal charges of bank fraud and railed against the Trump administration over her prosecution.

New York

Letitia James pleads not guilty in mortgage fraud case

The Pentagon announced the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, is headed toward South America as news emerges about a 10th U.S. strike against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the area.

Washington

Pentagon sending world's largest aircraft carrier to Latin America

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week as part of a trip to Asia, the White House said on Thursday (October 23), confirming the meeting which had been called into question following an escalation in trade tensions.

Seoul

Trump to meet Xi in South Korea as part of Asia swing

Changpeng Zhao, known as "CZ," stepped down as head of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange and pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2023. U.S. President Donald Trump has issued Zhao a pardon.

Trump pardons convicted Binance founder Changpeng Zhao

Britain's King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV have prayed in public together in a historic moment, marking the first time in 500 years that leaders of both the Church of England and the Catholic Church have taken part in a joint service.

Vatican City

King Charles meets Pope Leo XIV in historic public show of unity

U.S. President Donald Trump is reacting to an anti-tariff ad featuring a speech by former President Ronald Reagan. Trump is claiming that Canada is trying to influence the Supreme Court as it prepares to hear a case on tariffs.

Trump ending trade talks with Canada over anti-tariff ad

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appealed Thursday for calm as tensions rose with Washington, saying in English: “No crazy war, please!” His plea followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had authorised covert action against Caracas amid an expanding U.S. military campaign targeting alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.

'No crazy war, please!' Maduro pleads to Trump after covert action

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was charged in connection with a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was charged in a second fraudulent betting scheme and more than 30 people in total were arrested between the two cases.

Breakdown