Kingston, Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm on Tuesday as it drew closer to Jamaica, where forecasters expected it to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage.

At that strength, it would be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began in 1851.

A handout satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of Hurricane Melissa churns northwest through the Caribbean Sea, captured early Tuesday AEDT. Credit: Getty Images

Blamed for six deaths in the northern Caribbean as it headed toward the island, Melissa was on track to make landfall in Jamaica late on Tuesday afternoon (AEDT), before coming ashore in Cuba and then heading toward the Bahamas.

“I have been on my knees in pr

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