Brits stranded as Hurricane Melissa hits Jamaica – ‘storm of the century’

Authorities in eastern Cuba have cut power to nearly the entire region, evacuated residents from vulnerable areas, and urged people to remain indoors in Santiago de Cuba, the provincial capital with a population of around 400,000.

Footage shared by local media, though limited, showed torrents of muddy rainwater rushing through streets at the foot of the Sierra Maestra mountains near the city, according to Reuters.

Early reports indicate widespread flooding across low-lying areas from Santiago to Guantánamo, with as many as 35% of residents in some zones evacuated.

The timing is particularly challenging for Cuba, which is already grappling with shortages of food, fuel, electricity, and medicine — issues that have made daily life difficult and sparked record-breaking migration since 2021.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed that 2,500 electric line workers have been mobilised to begin restoring power and infrastructure as soon as the hurricane passes later on Wednesday.

The storm is not expected to make a direct impact on the capital, Havana.