The strongest hurricane on record to make landfall over Jamaica was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, a Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 130 mph. As of Monday morning, Melissa was classified as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 160 mph.

The National Hurricane Centre warned that Melissa is expected to bring 15 to 30 inches (38.1cm to 76.2cm) of rain to Jamaica and souther Hispaniola, with a maximum of up to 40 inches (101.6cm). Eastern Cuba is facing between 10 inches (25.4cm) and 15 inches (38.1cm) of expected rainfall.

Hurricane Melissa is edging towards Jamaica and set to make landfall as a historic Category 5 storm, with winds of over 160 mph. Jamaica is bracing for what the National Hurricane Center said would be catastrophic flash flooding and landslides caused by up to 40 inches of rain in some places. The storm is due to make landfall early Tuesday.

Melissa strengthened into a deadly Category 5 hurricane Monday with catastrophic impacts expected across the Caribbean, similar to Sarasota last year.

A fast-developing storm was expected to bring “unprecedented” amounts of rain to several countries, meteorologists said.

Hurricane Melissa became a major hurricane late Saturday with catastrophic flash flooding and landslides in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

Melissa is expected to strengthen from a tropical storm into a major hurricane this weekend, bringing “life-threatening and catastrophic” flash flooding and landslides to the Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Melissa has neared hurricane strength, threatening the northern Caribbean with potentially catastrophic rainfall, flooding and landslides.

Why meteorologists are so concerned about Tropical Storm Melissa when it becomes a hurricane near Jamaica, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba.

Melissa developed into a deadly Category 5 hurricane Monday, Oct. 27, and is expected to have historically catastrophic impacts on the northern Caribbean.