An international body has retired the name “Melissa” from the list of hurricane names in the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact last year.

The World Meteorological Organisation’s Hurricane Committee has announced the name will be replaced by “Molly” in the rotating list of storm names.

Storm names are usually repeated every six years unless a storm is so deadly or destructive that its name is retired.

While Hurricane Melissa had only a minor impact on Bermuda, knocking out electricity for nearly 20,000 homes, the hurricane battered the Caribbean as a deadly Category 5 hurricane.

The storm, the strongest on record to make landfall in Jamaica and among the strongest to make landfall anywhere in the Atlantic basin, was responsible for more than 90 deaths across the Caribbean.

Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the WMO, said in a statement: “The risks associated with tropical cyclones are both real and increasing.

“It only takes one landfalling tropical cyclone to roll back years of development, and this was unfortunately the case with Hurricane Melissa. Recovery will be long and hard.

“Despite the force of Melissa, loss of life was in the dozens rather than the thousands. This is testimony to the accuracy of advance forecasts and the use of these early warnings to support early action.”