From Mitch and Sandy to Wilma and Hazel, deadly and destructive October hurricanes have left their mark over the decades.

Although Jamaica has been hit by many hurricanes, a storm stronger than Category 3 has never made landfall on the island.

An intensifying Melissa is expected to bring destructive flooding to Jamaica, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic before tracking toward Cuba next week.

Tropical Storm Melissa is barely moving through the Caribbean, and that’s exactly what makes it so dangerous. The longer it lingers, the more rain it dumps. Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic could face days of relentless downpours and mudslides.

People in and around recent burn scars should be alert to the risk of debris flows. Typical October weather will be back later this week.

No references were made in a detailed review of the response to Storm Éowyn of any contact between the Irish and UK weather services, except around the naming of one of the worst storms to hit the island.

Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean are staring down what could become a catastrophic, days-long assault of extreme rainfall and damaging winds with a strengthening Tropical Storm Melissa expected to become a major hurricane over some of the hottest ocean water on the planet.

The storm has already led to the death of an elderly man in Haiti who was killed by a downed tree, according to The Associated Press. On Friday evening, Tropical Storm Melissa con