Hurricane Melissa picked up strength as it bore down on Cuba, where it is expected to make landfall Wednesday after ripping a path of destruction through Jamaica as one of the most powerful hurricanes on record there, lashing the island nation with brutal winds and torrential rain.

The monster storm was still 110 miles (175 kilometers) away from Guantanamo late Tuesday, but "re-strengthening" to a Category 4 hurricane "as it approaches eastern Cuba," the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory.

The storm took hours to cross over Jamaica, a passage over land that diminished its winds, dropping down to a Category 3 -- from the maximum level 5 -- before ramping back up.

"Melissa is expected to remain a powerful hurricane when it moves across Cuba, the Bahamas, and near

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