Flight map shows plane going right into the eye of Hurricane Melissa

Viewers of a live flight map were stunned when US Air Force Hurricane Hunters flew across the eye of the storm before it made landfall in Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa has devastated the Caribbean country, now declared a ‘disaster area’, putting towns under water as the strongest storm to hit the island since records began 174 years ago.

But this did not stop the US aircraft completing a mission to collect meteorological data for America’s National Hurricane Center.

The Hurricane Hunters fly into and around storms to measure wind speed, pressure, temperature and humidity. This data then helps the centre to make accurate forecasts and plan for emergency measures.

On this mission, the squadron flew a Super Hercules aircraft from one side of Melissa to the other. As seen on the flight map, it pierced the eye of the storm from the south east at a height of up to 10,000 feet.

Another plane, a WP-3D Orion, circled the storm’s edge as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration piloted this jet as part of the Air Force’s mission.

A post on Facebook by the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters recounted the mission and said the crew returned to their ‘operating location in Curaçao after encountering heavy turbulence’ in the eye of the storm.

It added: ‘During the event, the aircraft briefly experienced forces stronger than normal due to turbulence. While this does not automatically indicate damage, standard safety procedures require an inspection before returning to operations.’

Hurricane Melissa is being called the most powerful storm of the year and is already responsible for seven deaths – three in Jamaica before it made landfall, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic.

Jamaica has ordered evacuations as it prepares for severe flooding and power outages. British tourists stranded there have been told to stay inside and said there is ‘extensive damage across the island’.

The prime minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, warned of ‘devastating impacts’ and said reports so far indicate ‘damage to hospitals, significant damage to residential property, housing and commercial property as well’.

Reconnaissance of Hurricane Melissa by the US Air Force comes as pay for military members is in question due to the US government shutdown.

Many federal workers have been going without pay since the shutdown began on October 1 but are due to be paid retroactively when it ends. Essential workers, such as the military, are required to continue working.

However, Vice President JD Vance has said they ‘can continue paying the troops, at least for now’. He has not yet explained how funds will be rearranged so military members are paid as hoped at the end of the week.