Yesterday Melissa made landfall over southwestern Jamaica as a strong category 5 hurricane. It struck around New Hope, Jamaica with sustained winds of 185mph. The hurricane caused widespread damage over a huge section of the island.

Cuba’s president, President Miguel Díaz-Canel, warned residents to brace for a “very difficult night” as the island prepared for Hurricane Melissa to make landfall early Wednesday.

Cuba is bracing for Hurricane Melissa as it heads towards Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, threatening catastrophic damage at a time the government is already failing to provide the most basic services and thousands are sick because of the rise of mosquito-transmitted diseases and other illnesses linked to poor sanitary conditions.

While Hurricane Melissa churns through the Atlantic as a devastating Category 5 storm, a complex weather pattern is keeping this monster away from American shores. The same atmospheric forces bringing record-breaking rainfall to Florida are creating a steering pattern that's pushing Melissa northeast into safer waters.