Around 8,000 British tourists are stranded in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa.

The island was hit last night by one of the world’s strongest hurricanes, with meteorologists calling it “storm of the century”

Speaking in the Commons, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The FCDO stands ready to help British nationals 24/7.

“We have set up a crisis centre in the Foreign Office, including with support from the (Ministry of Defence), and also we are positioning specialist rapid deployment teams to provide consular assistance to British nationals in the region.

“Any British nationals who are there should follow our travel advice and the advice of the Jamaican authorities.

‘There are 50,000 dual nationals who live in Jamaica, up to 8,000 British citizens who may be travelling there or may be on holiday there.”