Will Hurricane Melissa hit the UK? Weather forecast after Jamaica ravaged by storms

Hurricane Melissa - the most powerful storm of the year, with winds reaching 185mph - has torn through the Caribbean, leaving destruction across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The storm, now moving across the Atlantic, could play a small part in shaping the UK’s weather as it weakens in the coming days.

Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a category five hurricane, the third of this year’s season and the strongest yet, before battering Cuba’s southern coast on Wednesday.

At least seven people have been killed - three in Jamaica, and four more in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Around 8,000 British tourists are stranded in Jamaica after authorities ordered residents and visitors to stay indoors. The island has been hit by “catastrophic winds” and “flash flooding,” with widespread damage including torn-off roofs, landslides, blocked roads, and power outages.

Officials in Kingston have also warned locals to stay alert for crocodiles displaced by flooding.

According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Melissa is the strongest storm to hit Jamaica since records began in 1851. It was last located about 60 miles southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba, with sustained winds of around 120mph as it moved northwest.

The Met Office says Melissa is expected to lose strength and “tropical characteristics” as it tracks north through the Atlantic, but could stil affect the UK in some capacity.

They said: “Hurricane Melissa is expected to lose its tropical characteristics in the North Atlantic and likely dissipate as a distinct system later this week.

“There is a small chance that the remnants of Melissa could influence UK weather next week, although the picture will become clearer closer to the time.

“At present, any particularly significant or disruptive weather appears unlikely. However, the system could help maintain the broadly unsettled conditions already affecting the UK.”

While hurricanes cannot form in UK waters as the sea is too cold, their remnants can still have an impact once they transition into extratropical depressions. For example, Hurricane Ophelia in 2017 brought 90mph winds to parts of the UK and Ireland.