The complex, deadly combination that turned Hurricane Melissa into a real monster

Climate change is adding to slow pace of the storm, meaning more damage

Residents stand on the wreckage of a house destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. Photo: AP

Experts say that Hurricane Melissa’s powerful winds and its slow pace, likely exacerbated by climate change, have allowed the huge storm to linger in the Caribbean region for maximum damage.

Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, said that the storm was “a dire situation unfolding in slow motion”, noting that “slow-moving major hurricanes often go down in history as some of the deadliest and most destructive storms”.