Hurricane Melissa has swept over Jamaica, striking Swedish man Rikard Svahn hard on the island's west coast. He and his wife have chosen to stay in their secure house near Negril as winds intensify. Svahn hopes the storm will pass soon with minimal damage.
On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, hurricane Melissa reached Jamaica, classified as the second strongest ever over the Atlantic and the most powerful for the island nation. Winds exceeding 80 meters per second arrive in powerful gusts, bending trees, with up to one meter of rain expected. Authorities have warned of catastrophic consequences and urged coastal residents to evacuate inland.
Swedish Rikard Svahn, who splits his time between Florida and Jamaica, is in his villa in Sheffield near Negril with his wife Verona and a friend. It is his first real hurricane, despite previous storms on the island. The couple has stocked food and water, secured loose items, and taken shelter on the ground floor of the cement-built house, which they consider one of the safest in the area.
When Expressen reaches him in the afternoon, the line crackles with the wind. 'It comes in big gusts and bends all the trees. It's like it picks up again and again. Then it calms for a second and another gust comes,' Svahn describes. He worries about the roof, which is supposed to be hurricane-proof, and says: 'I hope it doesn't get much worse because right now it's very, very windy.'
SVT speaks to him earlier in the day: 'Then it feels a bit scary, and everything is very stressful for the trees and such. That's when you just want it to end.' They chose to stay, as most do, and hope for as few damages as possible. 'We hope it passes quickly,' he adds.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry estimates around 20 Swedes are on Jamaica, but the figure is uncertain. They advise caution and staying updated. The hurricane, at level five on the scale, is expected to have enormous impact according to the World Meteorological Organization WMO.