The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, Jamaica's premier higher education institution, transitioned to full online operations starting at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 23, 2025, and postponed graduation ceremonies originally scheduled for October 23-25. The university issued directives for most Jamaican students to vacate on-campus residence halls, while allowing regional and international students to remain sheltered in place.
"We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, and staff," said a UWI spokesperson in a statement. "This is an unprecedented weather event that requires extraordinary measures."
Hurricane Melissa, which the National Hurricane Center describes as bringing "catastrophic winds, flash flooding and storm surge" to Jamaica, made landfall Tuesday morning as the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began in 1851. The storm threatens to bring up to 40 inches of rain, 13-foot storm surges, and winds exceeding 175 mph to the island of 2.8 million people.
The University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica suspended all classes until further notice due to worsening weather conditions. The institution initially planned to transition to online formats but later announced a complete suspension as the storm intensified to Category 5 strength. The University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) shifted all classes online starting October 23 and announced the closure of its campuses on October 24. Caribbean Maritime University also suspended in-person classes as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The Jamaican Ministry of Education issued advisories for all schools across the nation to move to remote learning in response to the storm, which has already claimed eight lives across the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica and five in Haiti.
