Hurricane Matthew reaches Jamaica

Hurricane Matthew began to influence Jamaica on Sunday, dumping rains that triggered floods and landslides blocking roadways.

Isolated showers started in the capital Kingston early Sunday afternoon. The first round of downpours lasted within 30 minutes but flooded several main roads in the city's corporate area.

The police said the high tide has been threatening to flood the Palisadoes strip, which links Kingston, Norman Manley International Airport, and the low-lying historical community Port Royal.

They also reported a landslide in a hilly community in the central area of the island, which resulted in the roadway nearby being partially blocked.

On advice of the country's disaster management authorities, Jamaica's Education Ministry issued a statement on Sunday ordering schools be closed on Monday.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie made a last-minute plea to those in flood-prone areas, asking them to move to the nearest shelter.

At 10 p.m. local time (0300 GMT) Matthew's hurricane eye was located near latitude 14.7 North, longitude 75.0 West, which is about 430 km southeast of Kingston and 520 km south-southwest of Port-au-Prince in Haiti, according to the National Hurricane Center of the United States.

It has turned north from the previous northwestward route and is moving at a speed of near 7 kmph. That means the hurricane center might pass further east of Jamaica than earlier projected.

Matthew remains a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 230 kmph.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica said as the hurricane approaches the island, outbreaks of showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue, while winds in tropical storm conditions should begin over the country's eastern parishes on Sunday night. Endi