Hurricane Melissa is now a Category 5 storm, capable of dumping catastrophic rainfall in addition to the powerful winds it's packing. The monster storm has begun to impact Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti, and it's expected to cause life-threatening problems for days during its slow crawl through the Caribbean.

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

A catastrophic Category 5 hurricane was bearing down on Jamaica on Monday, October 27 afternoon with sustained winds of up to 282kph (175mph), threatening to become the strongest storm the Caribbean island has ever experienced,

Melissa has already turned deadly across Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the worst may be yet to come with the storm on track to intensify.

Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a major Category 4 hurricane, with the possibility of intensifying to a Category 5 storm Sunday night, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean,

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.

Hurricane Melissa is strengthening rapidly, threatening to become a major hurricane and cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica.

The presence of warships and the disruption of marine livelihoods within our Caribbean waters represent real and immediate threats to regional stability and to the welfare of our nations,” the region’s bishops said.