Global warming has fueled Hurricane Melissa

BarcelonaThe hurricane Balm, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic, is still following its path of destruction after crossing JamaicaCuba and, early Thursday morning, the Bahamas as well. Scientists have already concluded—proven with data—that this phenomenon is a direct consequence of the climate crisis created by the burning of fossil fuels. A specific study by Imperial College London concludes that global warming has made this hurricane four times more likely. If there were no climate change, a hurricane of that intensity would have occurred only once every 8,000 years, the study says. But human-created conditions have increased wind speeds by at least 18 km/h and raised them to the 295 km/h recorded on record. Balm when it made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, as a Category 5 hurricane.

"Man-made climate change caused the hurricane Balm was clearly stronger and more destructive. These storms will be even more devastating in the future if we continue to overheat the planet by burning fossil fuels,” says Professor Ralf Toumi, director of the Grantham Institute and author of the Imperial College study. Toumi emphasizes that countries like Jamaica, but also many others, must prepare for such phenomena. “It is vital, but it is not a sufficient response to global warming. The emission of greenhouse gases must stop.”

Another study by Climate Central reaches the same conclusion and points out that the hurricane intensified to Category 5 as it approached Jamaica because it encountered a sea that was 2.5°C warmer at the time.

Warm water

It was precisely this warm water that caused the hurricane to accelerate again on Thursday, gaining speed over the ocean on its way to Bermuda, after leaving a trail of destruction in Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas. However, the destruction extends beyond the countries directly through its eye, reaching others such as Haiti, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. By Thursday morning, at least 34 deaths had been confirmed: 25 in Haiti—10 of whom were children—four in Jamaica, four in Panama, and one in the Dominican Republic, according to EFE's count. The population of the Bahamas and the nearby Turks and Caicos Islands sought shelter on Thursday as the storm battered them with dangerous gusts of wind and rain. By early morning in the region (midday in Catalonia), the hurricane had already reached Category 2 strength, with winds of nearly 165 km/h, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was expected to continue accelerating northeastward and "pass northwest of Bermuda" later, before likely weakening on Friday, according to the center. Bermuda has closed all roads, schools, and railways as a precaution.

The strongest storm to hit Jamaica

When it struck Jamaica on Tuesday at midday, the hurricane was a Category 5, the highest category, generating sustained winds of up to 295 km/h. Balm It has been the strongest storm to hit the island since records began 174 years ago. It ripped off roofs, uprooted trees, and caused landslides and major flooding. On Wednesday, more than 25,000 people were crowded into shelters, and the country's education minister said that 77% of the island was without power.

After devastating this small island in the Antilles, the hurricane's intensity decreased as it made its way toward Cuba, where it arrived Wednesday at noon (8 a.m. in the region) as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 190 kilometers per hour. Hours later, it had weakened to a Category 2 and had left Cuban territory heading toward the Bahamas.

Despite the decrease in intensity, meteorological authorities warned that the Balm It was still a threat to life due to the rising sea level and the heavy rains, flooding, and landslides it had generated in eastern Cuba, in the Santiago de Cuba area, and also in other countries in the region. Haiti and the Dominican Republic also faced severe flooding and catastrophic landslides. This Wednesday afternoon, Catalan time, it was still moving as a Category 2 hurricane toward the Bahamas and was expected to then pass through Bermuda. Bahamian authorities are evacuating dozens of people from the southeast of the archipelago before the hurricane makes landfall. "We've had about five flights so far," explained Alex Storr, executive chairman of the Bahamas Disaster Management Authority, who added that at least four more flights were expected during the day. More than 730,000 Cubans had been evacuated from the areas in the hurricane's projected path before it arrived. In fact, one of the most powerful storms since the passage of theIrma in 2017.

As for Jamaica, it was the strongest hurricane to ever hit the country. There were still 15,000 people in refuge and half a million residents without electricity on Wednesday. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a "disaster zone" on Tuesday and warned of the hurricane's "devastating impacts." "The reports we have received so far include damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential properties, homes, and commercial properties," he explained Tuesday night. On Wednesday, when the eye of the hurricane had already moved away from Jamaica, the small island was getting back on its feet to assess the damage and evaluate the situation.

"An unprecedented disaster"

"The first signs show that the hurricane Balm "It has been an unprecedented disaster for the island," Alexander Pendry, head of global response for the British Red Cross, who was in Jamaica, told the BBC. "Reports are already coming in that entire communities are underwater and that the damage caused by the strong winds has been devastating," he added. The priority now is providing medical attention, shelter, drinking water, or food to everyone who needs it.

The US National Hurricane Center warned Wednesday morning that the storm could still bring an additional 7 to 15 cubic centimeters of rain per square meter to some mountainous areas, which could trigger landslides, significantly complicating rescue efforts as well as cleanup and damage assessment.

He Balm It tied as the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall anywhere in the Atlantic, with sustained wind speeds of 295 km/h, and also tied with the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane in intensity, with a central pressure of 892 millibars. This is an extremely low and almost unprecedented pressure, tied for the third lowest ever recorded in a hurricane globally.

In Cuba, the government boasted on Wednesday about its preparedness for extreme events of this kind, which had allowed for the evacuation of 730,000 people before the arrival of the BalmThe country conducts annual drills to prepare for disasters of this kind, which are common and increasingly frequent due to the climate crisis. However, the island's infrastructure is severely deteriorated, and the electrical system has suffered several blackouts in recent months. The passage of the Balm He has once again brought out Fidel Castro's brother, Raúl Castro, to address the nation: "We will emerge victorious from this latest challenge," he told them. Raúl Castro stepped down in 2021 as First Secretary of the ruling Communist Party, handing power to Miguel Díaz-Canel.