People in Jamaica are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which is forecast to unleash destructive winds and bring catastrophic flooding to the Caribbean nation in the coming hours.
Melissa was upgraded to a category five hurricane - the maximum strength - early on Monday, the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
The authorities fear that Melissa, which has already led to the deaths of four people on the island of Hispaniola, could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica.
The Jamaican government has ordered evacuations for parts of the capital, Kingston, and the entire island has been classed as 'threatened'. An update from the NHC reported that Melissa was about 130 miles (209km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica.
The hurricane has maximum sustained wind speeds of 160mph (260km/h) and could strengthen further in the next 12 to 24 hours. If the current track holds, its core is expected to move near or over Jamaica tonight and Tuesday, impacting areas of southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night, and the Bahamas on Wednesday. The storm is particularly slow-moving, raising concerns over expected rainfall amounts, with forecasts estimating up to 40 inches (100cm) in parts of Jamaica over the next four days.
Destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges are anticipated as the hurricane approaches. Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered immediate evacuations of vulnerable communities and urged residents in low-lying areas to seek shelter. All of the island's shelters are open and ready for use.
In comparison, Hurricane Melissa has wreaked havoc on Hispaniola, where at least three fatalities have been reported in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic, one person was killed and others rescued from floodwaters.
