NEW YORK, October 27. /TASS/. Around 1,000 employees of the US Department of War, their family members, and contractors were evacuated from the US naval base in Guantanamo in Cuba this weekend as Hurricane Melissa was approaching the island, The New York Times reported.

According to the newspaper, all those evacuated were temporarily accommodated at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola in Florida. They will remain there for the next two weeks.

Earlier in the day, the US National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Melissa has intensified to Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which is the strongest type. According to its estimates, the hurricane is moving westward with the speed of 6 kmph, bringing winds that currently reach 72.2 meters per second. It is currently moving towards Jamaica, where it is feared to cause "catastrophic flooding.".