Melissa, national hurricane center and Caribbean
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Hurricane Melissa is now strongest storm on planet this year
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U.S. Air Force "Hurricane Hunters" data indicated that maximum sustained winds are nearing 175 mph, with higher gusts, the NHC said. Hurricane force winds are extending up to 30 miles from the storm's center, the NHC added.
Hurricane Melissa is set to bring catastrophic winds, flooding and storm surge to Jamaica, forecasters have warned.
"It is more than kind of distressing because you don't know when and you don't know how," said Ewan Simpson, who lives in Jamaica.
Hurricane Hunters were forced to cut short their reconnaissance mission into the Category 5 Hurricane Melissa Monday morning, Oct. 27.
Melissa has already killed three people in Haiti and Jamaica each and one person in the Dominican Republic. United Nations staff are preparing to deploy to Cuba and Jamaica this week as the region nervously awaits landfall of Hurricane Melissa.
The Caribbean island braced for record winds and catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Melissa. Also: record numbers of racehorses die in Australia from injuries in the past year; Korean beauty products trend investigated;