British tourists locked down in hotels as 185mph Hurricane Melissa hits Jamaica

British tourists are locked down in their hotels as Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history, has made landfall in Jamaica.

As many as 8,000 British citizens are in the Caribbean country, with people ordered to stay inside to avoid the world’s strongest storm of the year so far.

On Tuesday, the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami said Melissa was “one of the most powerful hurricane landfalls on record in the Atlantic basin” as it hit south-western Jamaica near New Hope with sustained winds of 185mph.

In a post on X, the centre warned that it is an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation” and told those in the area not to leave their shelter as the eye of the storm passes over.

The Jamaican government has ordered evacuations from high risk areas, and all of the country’s airports are shut, while the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) urged British nationals in Jamaica to register their presence through the Government website to receive updates from the FCDO on the hurricane.

A British man who cut his holiday in Jamaica short and paid £3,500 for last-minute flights home for his family before the airports shut said he felt “completely let down” by the UK Government’s response to the hurricane.

Speaking to the PA news agency, David Rowe, who is from Hertfordshire and spent 10 days in Jamaica before deciding to fly home on Saturday because of the storm, said of the FCDO’s response: “It’s all too late, their reaction and their response to the storm has been too late – after the fact.

“The advice should have been last week, like on the Saturday – don’t travel – because a lot of the travel companies use the FCDO guidance on travel (for) all their planning and what decisions they make as an organisation.”

The IT manager continued: “There should have been something done much sooner than this and a lot of the UK nationals and people on holiday there, they are stranded.

“This could have been prevented with with better action from the UK Government.”

The 47-year-old said he and his wife had felt “very anxious” before they flew home and “very sad” for those left in the country.

Another Briton on holiday said he had been ordered to stay in his hotel bathroom until the storm passes.

Andrew Tracey had been due to fly home on Monday before his flight was cancelled.

He told Sky News food packages were being delivered to guests, with deck chairs removed from the beach and swimming pools drained where he was staying at the Negril hotel.

“The balcony and walls do feel as though they are vibrating just due to the strength of the wind,” he told the broadcaster.

“I’m very nervous, it’s hard to comprehend what we are likely to expect.”

Tourist Pia Chevallier, who is staying in a hotel around 40 minutes west of Montego Bay, told BBC News that conditions were “very, very scary”.

She said: “The winds have been increasing rapidly, and you can just hear everything banging, door banging.

“We barricaded up the doors with a footstool and sofas and the patio doors and it’s just very, very scary.”

Ms Chevallier, who arrived on the island on Saturday, said she had been told to stay in her room and to move into the bathroom once the hurricane made landfall.

She added: “We were in two minds about getting on the actual flight, although the crew and the pilot assured us that they were confident that it should go ahead so we went with that and now I really wish that we hadn’t gone.”

Catastrophic flash floods and landslides are likely in the coming hours, with up to 700mm of rain, four-metre waves and 135mph winds possible, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told travellers.

Seven people have already reportedly lost their lives across the Caribbean region.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said a crisis centre had been set up to help Britons on the Caribbean island.

Speaking in the Commons, she said: “Hurricane Melissa is expected to make landfall in Jamaica shortly, potentially the most severe storm ever to hit the country.

“Many people will be thinking of family and friends in Jamaica and in the region.

“The FCDO stands ready to help British nationals 24/7.

“We have set up a crisis centre in the Foreign Office, including with support from the (Ministry of Defence), and also we are positioning specialist rapid deployment teams to provide consular assistance to British nationals in the region.

“Any British nationals who are there should follow our travel advice and the advice of the Jamaican authorities.

“There are 50,000 dual nationals who live in Jamaica, up to 8,000 British citizens who may be travelling there or may be on holiday there.

“We do stand ready to help and respond.”

Melissa intensified to Category 5 strength as it neared Jamaica, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Three such hurricanes have formed during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, something not seen for 20 years.

Previous Category 5 hurricanes include 2005’s Katrina that killed 1,392 people and caused an estimated 125 billion dollars worth of damage, particularly around New Orleans.

The Jamaican government said it had done all it could to prepare and warned of devastating damage from the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record keeping began 174 years ago.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said: “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5.

“The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”

Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami, warned that Jamaica’s highest mountains could see gusts of up to 200mph and that there would be “total building failures.”

Travel company Tui urged its customers to follow the advice of local authorities.

A spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring the evolving situation in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa moves across the Caribbean and makes landfall.

“The safety and wellbeing of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority.

“Our teams are working hard to support all customers impacted by the severe weather conditions, including those in destination and whose travel plans have changed.

“We understand this is an unsettling time and ask that customers currently in Jamaica continue to follow the advice of local authorities and their resort teams.”

UK travel trade organisation Abta warned British tourists in Jamaica to monitor local news.

A spokesperson said: “The international airports in Jamaica are now closed as a precaution until the storm passes.

“Travel providers are liaising with their suppliers locally and providing advice and assistance to their customers.

“Customers currently in Jamaica are advised to monitor local news and should follow the advice of the local authorities, their accommodation and travel providers.”

An FCDO spokesperson said: “We understand how worrying developments in Jamaica are for British nationals and their families.

“Our travel advice includes information about hurricane season, which runs from June to November. Last Thursday we updated our travel advice for Jamaica to include a warning about Tropical Storm Melissa and that it was expected to intensify over the coming days.

“The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority, and that is why we are urging any British nationals in Jamaica to follow the guidance of the local authorities and register their presence with us to receive updates.”