Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm and could reach Category 5 intensity by Sunday night, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm is unleashing torrential rain and threatening catastrophic flooding across the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica. Melissa is forecast to reach Jamaica’s southern coast by Tuesday morning, according to the agency.

“I urge Jamaicans to take this weather threat seriously,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a statement. “Take all measures to protect yourself.”

Late Saturday, Melissa was centered about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and roughly 280 miles (455 kilometers) west-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kp

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