Fears for families as Hurricane Melissa strikes

Nikki Finlay-Mulligan, along with her husband and daughter, are stranded in Jamaica

Jamaicans in the UK have said they are "worried" about their friends and family as Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in the country.

Forecasters believe the storm could be the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica, with winds of 175mph (282km/h).

Dr Beverly Lindsay OBE, chair of the Association of Jamaican Nationals (Birmingham) UK, said people's relatives abroad had been "sitting tight" and following government advice.

Among those hunkering down until the hurricane passes is Nikki Finlay-Mulligan from Much Wenlock in Shropshire, who is on holiday in Negril with her husband and daughter.

The three of them are among around 200 people being kept in their hotel's conference room while the storm takes place.

"We started to hear about the hurricane on Friday, but nothing was really communicated until Sunday," Mrs Finlay-Mulligan told BBC Radio Shropshire.

Dr Beverly Lindsay said she had contacted church and community leaders so people could prepare for providing help

She added: "We're all on the floor on sunbed mattresses, there's about 200 of us on the floor. We're about 10 feet off the ground.

"Everything's been boarded up, a lot of the restaurants and shops have been boarded up since Friday.

"We don't have windows in here. It's just torrential rain at the moment and [it's] incredibly windy. We don't see anything else, which is probably for the best."

She explained the hotel's manager had said they had between three and seven days of food and water available.

Threat of landslides

Mrs Finlay-Mulligan and her family were due to fly back to Shropshire on Tuesday, but are currently stranded due to the hurricane.

She added that the issue everyone was concerned about was the threat of landslides.

"We are quite worried about the people on the southern side. People are really listening to the government's warning and they're heeding to that," Dr Beverly Lindsay said.

"They are barricading the houses, and others who think they are more vulnerable, they are moving into shelters," added Dr Lindsay, who lives in Birmingham.

Around 200 people are sleeping on the floor of this hotel conference centre, where the Finlay-Mulligans are waiting for the hurricane to pass

The National Hurricane Center warned of "catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding" to Jamaica.

The US-based group expects between 15in (38cm) and 30in (76cm) of rainfall to hit Jamaica, with extensive rain in Cuba and the south-eastern Bahamas, bringing "numerous landslides".

There were similar warnings in Haiti, Dominican Republic and south-eastern Bahamas.

The National Hurricane Center has warned Hurricane Melissa will bring "catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding" to Jamaica.

Three "storm-related deaths" were reported in Jamaica on Monday evening ahead of the hurricane's landfall, Jamaica's ministry of health and wellness said on X.

"I have sent out a message to my members and other church leaders, community leaders yesterday," Dr Lindsay said.

"So we must begin to prepare and plan. If help and action is needed, if the worst occurs.

"So we are on standby as it is as the moment."

The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for countries and territories across the region impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Airports are currently closed, and holidaymakers and British nationals residing in Jamaica are advised to follow the advice of local authorities, "especially in the event of any evacuation orders", as well as tour operators.

The Foreign Office is also pointing people to where they can find a list of shelters on the island.