First charter flight to bring Britons back from Jamaica due to take off

The first charter flight to bring Britons back from Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa is due to take off on Saturday night.

Around 8,000 British nationals are thought to have been on the island when Melissa made landfall on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of up to 185mph. It is one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit Jamaica, where popular tourist areas such as Montego Bay have been badly hit.

Melissa has been blamed for at least 28 deaths in Jamaica and 31 in nearby Haiti, with the figure expected to rise, with many areas still difficult to reach. British nationals on the island are being advised by the Foreign Office to use commercial aircraft to leave Jamaica, but the government has chartered a small number of flights for those can't.

The first is set to take off from Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport late on Saturday, while further flights will depend on demand. The UK government says it is working with tour operators, the Jamaican authorities and international partners to support British nationals in affected areas, with two rapid deployment teams on the ground to help.

The hurricane has left devastation in its wake, snapping power lines and toppling buildings, disrupting food and water distribution and destroying crop fields. Read more:Emotional reunion in Hurricane Melissa 'ground zero'Destruction revealed in satellite images Rescue and aid workers have been scrambling to distribute food and water and reach communities which are still isolated.

The UK has announced £7.5m of humanitarian support to help with the efforts, including shelter kits and solar-powered lanterns for those still without power. Some of the money will also be used to match donations to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent.

Announcing the aid funding, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was "increasing our funding for humanitarian support to ensure we can get shelter kits, solar lamps and sanitation products to those who need it most"..