The Day Hurricane Melissa Devastated the Caribbean

UK media began the day with extensive coverage of Hurricane Melissa, which had already devastated Jamaica with flooding and wind, and was intensifying as it moved towards Cuba. By mid-morning, Jamaica was declared a "disaster area," with reports of widespread destruction and thousands of tourists trapped. The focus shifted to Cuba as Melissa made landfall there with 120mph winds. By late afternoon and evening, the humanitarian impact in Jamaica and Haiti became prominent, with reports of widespread power outages in Jamaica and at least 20 deaths in Haiti, with four deaths later confirmed in Jamaica itself. The storm was nearing the Bahamas, leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean. Separately, the deportation of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu and discussions around potential income tax increases in the UK also featured.